Teach me
by becksalgado
Summary: What if the accident in Season 2 Teach me tonight had been more serious? How different would things be for Rory and Jess? Or Luke and Lorelai?
1. Hospitals and Reunions

Chapter One

Hospitals and Reunions

"Hello." Lorelai answered the phone distractedly, still trying to decide which Chinese takeout place was the good one.

"Ms. Gilmore?" The seriousness of the man's tone caught her attention.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"This is Dr. Kendrock…" Lorelai's heart sank as her knees hit the ground. _Rory, Rory, Rory_ was all that went through her head as she heard the doctor continue to tell her that her baby girl had been in a car accident and that she needed to come down to the hospital. Lorelai hang up the phone before he could finish the sentence and dashed out the door knocking over the chair in the process. She still didn't understand why Rory had been in the car in the first place, but she seemed to remember the doctor talking about another kid who had been in the accident and who had also gotten hurt. Her first thought was Lane, which sparked another panic…_Rory, Rory, Rory…._

She got to the hospital in record time, barely pulling the Jeep into park before dashing into the emergency room entrance. She ran to the desk and abruptly interrupted two nurses behind the desk.

"I'm looking for Rory, Lorelai, Gilmore?"

"Yes, just one minute…" one of the nurses said as she slowly went to her desk with an annoyed look on her face.

"No, now…Rory Gilmore…I'm her mother" Lorelai didn't have any time or patience for mediocre workers that were trying to separate her and her baby, _Rory, Rory, Rory. _

"Yes…in room in 105 down the hall…Dr. Kendrock is in there…" Lorelai was gone through the doors and running to room 105. She paused before opening the door to take a deep breath and then pushed the door open. Her Rory was lying on the bed, pale, and looking very tired, and her arm was in a sling. Lorelai groaned inwardly in pain before going to her daughter's side and hugging her.

"Mom…" Rory cried into Lorelai's shoulder.

"I'm here, baby, I'm here" Rory sank into the hug, feeling for the first time since rolling into the hospital that she was going to be okay. Her mom was there and she knew nothing bad was going to happen to her. The x-rays and everything had scared her without her mothers' guiding hand. The memory of the crash and of what happened afterwards made her want to cry even more, but she kept it back as her mom looked at the doctor, repositioned herself to be lying on the bed next to Rory, still holding her and then asked the doctor, "What happened?"

"In short, she has a hairline fracture in her arm when it collided into the dashboard during the impact of the crash. She will have to have it reset, which will not take long, and then be in a cast for a while."

"How long?"

"Two months minimum." Lorelai's heart sank, and Rory nestled deeper into her mom's embrace. "She is on vicodin, but we'll have to reset the bone as soon as we can. She will be asleep and there will not be the slightest chance of any complications."

"Ok" Lorelai said but she didn't move to get off the bed.

"Ms. Gilmore…"

"Ok, Rory, honey, they are going to reset your arm. It won't hurt and I will be right here when you get back, ok?" Rory nodded weekly as Lorelai kissed her on the forehead. She watched fighting back the tears as the nurses took her baby away. She then turned on the doctor. "How did this happen?"

"As far as I can tell, he was driving and he swerved for some reason, your daughter mentioned an animal, but she wasn't quite lucid, and they hit a ditch and flipped the car into a tree…" Lorelai sank to the ground for the second time. Her baby could have died. _He, He, Who? _

" Who was driving?" She managed out thickly.

"The young man, Jess Mariano." She stiffened as rage flooded through her. She had known that boy was trouble. She knew it, she had told Luke. She paused in her rant as the doctors next words washed over her and finally connected. "He is in a coma, and is in surgery for some major internal bleeding. We haven't been able to get in touch with his guardian…Mr. Danes, until a little while ago." Dr. Kendrock stopped abruptly as he saw the pain, grief and anger in the young woman's brilliant blue eyes. He hesitated for a moment and then gently helped Lorelai to a chair in the waiting room and said "I'll tell you when your daughter is out of surgery. Is there anyone you need to call? Maybe the father?" Lorelai nodded weekly. She pulled out her cell phone and quickly pushed speed dial and waited impatiently until a rough voice picked up saying, "Hello?"

"Chris?"

Luke broke his own rule and pushed his old beat up truck to the limit in order to get to the hospital as fast as he could. The phone call just kept replaying over and over in his head. _Your son Jess…He was in a car accident…he has some internal bleeding…the young woman he was with is also injured…your son Jess, Jess, Rory…_Knowing that Rory was also hurt broke his heart as well. He loved that beautiful girl and would do anything for her, and Jess was his responsibility. _How could this have happened? How could I have let this happen? How… _These thoughts circled in his head as he made his way to the hospital, finally parking next to a beat up Jeep, which he recognized but didn't register as to whose it was. He ran into the emergency room and went up to the desk.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Jess Mariano?"

"Mr. Danes?" A young doctor asked from behind him.

"Yes? Are you Jess' doctor? How is he? How is Rory?" Panic creeped into Luke's voice.

"Come with me, sir." Luke followed as the doctor continued. "My name is Doctor Ramon, your son…"

"Nephew"

"Right, nephew was in a serious car accident. He had to have emergency surgery as there was some internal bleeding, but he hasn't woken up from the coma…"

"Coma?" Luke wanted to sink to the ground in shock, but he restrained himself to a soft groan. People don't wake from comas. They live forever in that state of vegetation and no one goes to care for them, no one wants to trouble themselves over them, they just sit and drool and it is sad, and it can't happen to Jess, not to smartass Jess, with his sarcastic comments and his rude attitude. _Not Jess, Not Jess_ Luke made a promise right there and then that he would not let Jess be alone for ever, he would care for him. Who else would?

"It hasn't been that long however…and we are expecting him to take up any minute now…Here is his room." Luke walked in and saw Jess white as sheet, with tubes sticking out of his nose and just breathing, looking still in pain even in his sleep. Luke sank into the seat next to the bed, not knowing what to do, or say, or even think. Tears threatened to fall, but he held them back trying to control the panic and grief.

"It is good for you to talk to him," the doctor said gently, "Most coma patients react to voices they recognize." Luke nodded but continued to just stare at Jess. As he looked closer, he could see numerous scars on Jess' neck and arms and one along his cheek. His bandages on his stomach still had blood stains, but his hair still looked the same. Luke snorted in disbelief, and then gently ran his hand through Jess' hair, jerking it back when the door opened.

"I'm sorry, we just need to check the bandages." A pretty nurse said as she walked in. She moved to remove the bandages, and Luke finally remembered why he hated hospitals. Not only do they remind him of his parents' deaths, but the blood and everything made him a little sick. He excused himself and darted out the door. He sank to the floor taking deep breaths, but then remembered Rory, and then thought about Lorelai. _She must be in panic. _He got up quickly and went to find out how Rory was doing.

Lorelai was still sitting there in the same chair, when Luke finally found her. He sat down quietly and she automatically, without saying a word, sank her head into his shoulder and started to cry. He put his arm around her and they just sat there for a while. Luke still fought back his own tears, knowing he had to be strong for his Lorelai. He finally was able to get his voice and asked "How is Rory?"

Lorelai sat up, remembering the seriousness of what happened. She was so overwhelmed with grief and had been so used to Luke's comforting arms that she forgot for a second that he had been affected too…that he had put Jess and Rory together. She gritted her teeth, she can't be mad at Luke, Jess had been hurt too, and as hard as it was for her to admit, Jess had been hurt worse than Rory. She took a deep breath and finally told Luke about Rory. When she was finished and Luke was about to say his comforting words, the doctor came into the waiting room.

"Your daughter is out of surgery, ma'am" Lorelai got up shakily, with Luke's helping hand and they both followed the doctor to Rory. Rory still looked weak and pale, but her arm was now in a cast, and she was sleeping.

"She needs to sleep off the anesthetic we gave her, and still is on vicodin, and we need her to spend a few nights, but she is going to be alright." The doctor said trying to be comforting but Lorelai ignored him and again went to her daughter's side and climbed into the bed and held her baby. Luke smiled a little and went to the other side of the bed and started to examine Rory for himself to make sure she was alright. When he was satisfied, he went over to Lorelai and whispered in her ear "She's going to be alright, I'll be here if you need me." And he kissed her forehead and left. Lorelai rearranged herself and then settled in to go to sleep.

When Luke left, he started back to Jess' room pulling out his cell phone. After a few rings, a tired and slightly slurred voice answered, "Hello?"

"Liz?"

Emily and Richard waltz into the hospital as if they owned it, or they could at any minute sue the living daylights out of it. They went to the front desk and found where their daughter and granddaughter were and they swiftly made their way to the room, entering to find Lorelai and Rory fast asleep entangled in each other, Rory's arm curled protectively in its sling. Emily collapsed in one of the chairs, covering her mouth with her hand, relieved to see that Rory wasn't seriously injured. _It could have been worst, my poor girls, _was her only thought. Richard stood next to his wife and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. They sat there in silence for a while until Emily couldn't stand it anymore. She got up and quietly went over to Lorelai and shook her awake.

"Whosethere?"

"Lorelai, it's your mother, please get up, we need to talk." Lorelai looked up sleepily, not fully registering what Emily said.

"Mom?"

"yes, Lorelai, please…" Lorelai groaned a little but untangled herself from Rory, kissing her on the forehead and made her way out of the room, followed by her parents.

"What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what are we doing here? Our granddaughter was in a car accident and you didn't think about calling us? You didn't think that we would be scared stiff to be called by Christopher, Christopher of all people, to tell us that our granddaughter had broken her arm? How could you…"

"MOM!" Lorelai cried, putting her face in her hand to control her distraught emotions. Right now was not the time to be reminded of how strung out her relationship with her parents were. She took a deep breath and looked up at Emily. "I'm sorry. I was distracted by the panic of Rory…"

"We understand Lorelai," Richard interrupted giving his wife a sharp look, "We just were in a panic too. How is she? How did this happen?"

"She's ok. She broke her arm basically. Jess was driving and…" Lorelai was rambling when Emily sharply cut her off.

"Jess? That boy you told her not to see? Why was he driving? Whose car?" Emily was sputtering now, in anger and panic. Her granddaughter hurt by this…boy… _how could this have happened? _

"Mom…"

"Emily really now is not the time." Richard scolded his wife getting a dirty look in return but he turned his attention to Lorelai who looked like she was going to fall over any minute. He grabbed her arm and led her gently to a seat. "Here you go, dear, do you need any coffee?"

"Yes, dad, that would be amazing." She sighed in relief. He left quickly to go find her some coffee, while Emily stiffly sat down next to her. "I didn't get the whole story yet," Lorelai continued softly, "But Jess was driving and something ran into the road and he swerved and the car flipped." She stopped and gulped for air. "She could have died…" Lorelai broke down and started crying again, but this time only Emily was there to comfort her and she surprisingly did, breaking down in tears, holding her daughter and shushing her, telling her everything was going to be alright.

Rory squirmed around in her bed trying to get comfortable. She had woken up slightly when her mom had left and now the pain was getting to her. Suddenly the memory of everything that had happened enveloped her and she broke down and started to cry silently.

"_Go left" _

_Jess smirked turning left without a word. Rory felt dangerous and her heart started racing. Her mind was spiraling. She never did this kind of thing, not when she had her perfect Dean. She turned to Jess and they continued to talk about random things, laughing and teasing and having fun. She started to relax. _

"_Watch out!" She suddenly screamed seeing something spring across the road. Jess swore as he swerved and suddenly they hit something hard and the car went flying. She screamed and she couldn't see. It was dark, things were spinning, everything was out of control. The windshield cracked and the glass splattered everywhere. She screamed again as she brought her arms up to protect her face. The car suddenly stopped spinning and the impact screamed in her ears and she suddenly felt a sharp pain that made her scream again. And then, thankfully, everything went black. _

_She groaned awake what seemed like seconds later, but she was completely confused. She could feel something sticky and hot on her face. _

"_Jess?" she murmured trying to move her head but a sharp pain made her stop but out of the corner of eye she saw Jess, with something dark all over his head. She moved to shake him but he didn't respond. She started panicking and she cried out his name again and again. She tried to scramble out of her seat but the seatbelt wouldn't budge. She couldn't move her one arm, which felt like it was on fire but she ignored it. With a final adrenalin rush, she ripped off her seatbelt and scrambled the short distance to Jess and gently pushed his head up. She was shocked at all the blood. It wasn't making sense, he should be fine. _Jess! _She didn't know what to do. She heard sirens in the distance. _How did they know? _She thought irrationally. She grabbed Jess's hand and pulled it to her chest. "Please, Jess." She moved to cradle his head clinging as hard as she could to his limp body. "Please Jess." And she stayed that way sobbing, not even thinking about moving out of the car, until the paramedics found her. _

"Jess!" Rory cried out, waking from her nightmare. She tried to sit up, thinking she would see him sitting there with his sarcastic smirk on his face and with a book in his hand. She was hindered when she felt her arm in a cast. She cried out again, this time in pain.

"Rory?" Lorelai called, rushing into the room with a look of panic. She came over to Rory and started stroking her hair. "What's…"

"Where's Jess?" Rory interrupted. "He's not di…"

"No, no, he's alive." Lorelai reassured her quickly. She stopped however wondering how much Rory could take at the moment. Lorelai didn't know any more details than what the doctor told her and she had forgotten to ask Luke. _I should have asked Luke…He was there for me but he's in the same position._

Rory noticed the hesitation. "What is it mom?"

"Honey," Lorelai moved to sit down next to her. "Are you sure you want to hear this now?"

"What is it mom?" She started panicking, imagining all the things that could have happened. _He did lose a lot of blood. What if…_

"He's in a coma, honey, and he hasn't woken up yet…" Lorelai saw the shock in her daughter's eyes and moved to hug her. She wanted to make the pain, everything, go away. She almost started tearing up again. _This should not be happening not to Rory…_

Rory felt like the walls were closing in around her. She couldn't breathe and didn't even think about wanting to. Her heart felt like it would do so much better if it would stop beating. _Jess…Jess…_It was all her fault. She closed her eyes to fight back the tears. She heard the crash, the screaming of rubber on pavement, the screams, the breaking of glass. She didn't want to think about it. Jess in a coma? Her Jess?

"They are pretty sure he will wake though," Lorelai said, grasping onto the last hope the doctor had said to her. Anything to get that look of total anguish that was painted on her beautiful daughter's face. Rory nodded but moved closer into Lorelai's hug, buried her face into Lorelai's chest and started to cry.

Emily and Richard quietly made their way into the room, saw the tender mother-daughter moment, and settled into chairs in the corner. They leaned against each other, and by the time Rory's sobs quieted down and she fell asleep in her mother's arm, they had fallen asleep also. Lorelai, however, was still awake, and as she glanced out the window of the door she saw a tall, handsome man walk hesitantly to the door. _Christopher! _She motioned him in and he obeyed but stopped short when he saw Rory and a pained shocked expression came across his face. Lorelai motioned him to the other side, and he obeyed again getting on the other side of the bed with Rory, so she was sandwiched between the two. Lorelai reached across and grasped Christopher's hand, and when their eyes met she nodded, telling him in one glance he was doing right by being there. He nodded in response and settled in to get some sleep.

Luke was getting mad at the doctors. They kept coming into Jess's room with hopeful looks on their faces and then looking quietly at all the machines and papers and stuff and then looking sympathetically at Luke and leaving without a word. Luke just wished they would talk to him, explain why Jess wasn't waking up, what was really wrong with him _Was he going to be like this forever? _Luke almost broke down every time he thought that but then he looked at Jess took a deep breath and continued to read. The doctors had finally convinced him that Jess could recognize his voice and as Luke couldn't talk to Jess the way he was without getting really uncomfortable, he decided to read to him. There were no good books in the hospital so he was stuck reading stupid magazines, but at least Jess was hearing his voice.

It was now three o'clock in the morning and Luke was amazed he was still awake. He had been here for four hours and nothing was improving, no one was talking to him. Two hours ago he had called Liz, and even though he knew it would probably take her longer to get here, he kept looking up at the door expecting to see her rushing in to see her son. Until then, however, he felt guilty even thinking about sleep. Jess was hurting, or stuck, in that mind of his and he couldn't do anything. He had never felt so helpless since…well since his father had been in the hospital. But that hadn't been sudden, his father had been sick a really long time. But Jess? Jess was young, full of potential. He just hadn't realized it yet. He didn't know that there were bigger things he could do with his life and maybe he would never find that out. _Jesus, he would never have a family, or a job, or…stop it! You can't think like that, he's going to be ok…_ Luke buried his head in his hand and in an instant was fast asleep.

A couple hours later, Luke was woken up by a nurse coming in to check on Jess. Luke asked her if anything had changed, and when she shook her head, he sighed and got up in search of something to eat. When he got as far as the desk, he saw a skinny, blonde woman barely able to stand up and trying to speak to the receptionist. Next to her stood a muscular man with tattoos, who for some reason looked bored, which didn't make sense. The woman turned around and when she Luke, she came running in his direction.

"Luke! Where is he…" Liz slurred. Luke grunted trying to hide his disgust as she hugged him. She smelled like alcohol, drugs, and he wrinkled his nose when he recognized it, like sex. Her son was in the hospital and she came in looking like she had been enjoying the best high of her life.

"Liz? What took you so long?" Luke said once she had let go.

"We were a little preoccupied for a bit and traffic was horrible…" she looked flustered and little embarrassed. The heavyset man behind her still looked bored but now had a smirk on his face in response to what Liz said. Luke had to take a few inward deep breaths to control himself and remember that Jess was what was important. Without a word, he led them to Jess' room. Liz went in and cried out in pain as she saw her only son so still on the hospital bed. She sat down in the chair that Luke had been occupying and held Jess' hand. Luke felt relieved. She reacted like any other mother would. He glanced at the man, who still was not talking, but then Luke noticed that he a tattoo of tears on his face. _What the hell…_

"What happened, Luke?" Liz panicked question brought Luke back to the situation.

"He was in a car accident." Luke answered gruffly. He was interrupted by one of the doctors coming in.

"Oh, good. You must be the mother?"

"Yes" Liz tried to stand but then decided against it. "What happened to my son?"

"Well, we have to take him to do some more tests. It is not uncommon to have this kind of reaction, a coma, after such a head injury, but we just want to take a look again and see if anything has changed."

"Ok, but he's going to live?"

"Yes, he is stable, we are just waiting for him to wake."

"God…" Liz collapsed in the chair and starting crying. The man with the tattoos didn't move to consol her, so Luke went and hugged her, telling her everything was going to be alright, as he also tried not to gag at her smell. The doctor and nurses wheeled Jess out of the room, informing them it would only be a half hour or so. Immediately after they were gone, Liz sat up and pushed Luke gently away from her. He looked at her surprised as she got up and went over to the man.

"Luke, this is Ken." Luke hesitated but then got up and moved to shake Ken's hand.

"How long do you want to stay?" Ken asked Liz, ignoring Luke's outstretched hand. Luke let it fall, his anger mounting. Liz shrugged, holding Ken's hand and moving them to sit in the chair. When they started kissing, Luke walked out. He got as far as a few feet down the hall when he turned and smacked the wall. _LIZ! _Her son is in a coma and she is making out with her boyfriend? How? How could she not care? How could she have gone so wrong?

Lorelai awoke suddenly as if someone had yelled in her ear. Rory had moved a little bit out of her embrace and she looked sound asleep. Lorelai realized that she had been holding hands with Chris all this time, and she shook him awake gently. He opened his eyes, and she nodded towards the door. He nodded and they both gently got out of the bed and made it past the parents to outside. When they were outside, Lorelai threw herself into Chris's arms and he held her. After a while, they broke apart.

"She's going to be ok." Chris said, not as a question but more as a statement. Lorelai nodded.

"Where is this Jess…" Chris continued. Lorelai shook her head.

"No…He's hurt too. That's what Rory was crying about. He's in a coma and I don't know." Lorelai didn't want to think about the kid that she wanted to kill for doing this to her daughter, but he was hurt worse and Luke…

"Oh," Chris stopped short at that and took a deep breath. Both of them sat down. "How long is going to be in that cast?"

"Two months." Chris whistled in disbelief. They sat in silence for a while, Chris rubbing Lorelai's back.

"I'm glad you're here." Lorelai whispered.

"Me too." Suddenly Luke rushed past them both looking enraged. Lorelai got up quickly.

"Luke?" she called. He stopped short, turned around and his look of outrage changed quickly to concern.

"Lorelai? How's Rory?" He glanced at Christopher a little surprised he was there but then again he was the father.

"She's going to be alright." Lorelai looked closer at Luke's face. He looked like hadn't slept, or eaten in days, even though it had only been hours. And she could see the pain and sorrow behind the wall of concern. "How's Jess?"

Luke gulped, trying to control his raging emotions. "They're taking him for some more tests. But he still hasn't woken up and Liz…"

"Liz is here?" Lorelai asked, trying to remember what Luke had said about his sister. She had gone down the wrong path, with drugs and such, but that was all she remembered. She noticed that Chris looked uncomfortable and mad.

"Yeah, with her scary boyfriend and they are doing indecent things in Jess' room! I can't believe it, she's supposed to be his mom, you know, supposed to care about him and such, but all she cares about is getting some…. " Luke was interrupted from his rant by Christopher.

"How could you have let this happen?" Chris had finally had enough. His daughter was hurt because of this man's wild nephew whom he was supposed to control, to be watching over.

"Chris…" Lorelai said softly.

"No, Lorelai, you told me you were uncomfortable with this Jess guy and Luke here obviously didn't listen and…"

"Hey, look, I'm sorry." Luke said; he had known this was going to come out. "I asked Rory to help Jess out, I didn't know or plan for this to happen…

"But you overruled Lorelai!" Chris wanted to punch his lights out, he really did. Lorelai noticed and pulled Luke away from Chris.

"I'll handle this, Chris." Lorelai turned to Luke and took a deep breath.

"Look, Lorelai, you know I couldn't possibly have wanted or planned this to happen…"

"I know, but it did and now my baby girl is in a cast for two months and…"

Luke took a breath. "Two months? Geez, Lorelai I'm sorry. You know I care more about Rory than even myself and I'm sorry…"

"Why did you bring him here!" Lorelai had had enough. She wanted to shake some sense into this man.

"What?"

"Why did you bring him here? You had an obligation to this town, to us…WE told you he was trouble, but you didn't listen… you were just being a stubborn jackass and now Rory is hurt…"

"He's family, Lorelai, you just don't throw out family. I'm still there for you always… and Rory is going to be okay… at least you know that," Luke couldn't believe this, his mounting rage, pain, panic and everything was getting the best of him. How could she blame him? "Jess is in a coma…we don't know when he's going to wake up, or even if he is… I have to go check on him and if that cuts into your screaming time well that's just too damn bad!"

"Go to hell!" Lorelai screamed.

"Right back at you," Luke snarled as he walked away. Lorelai collapsed into the nearest chair and Chris came over and wrapped her in a tight embrace.


	2. Actions and Reactions

Chapter two

"Rory?" Lorelai called as she walked into their house. "Baby, mommy's home!"

"In the kitchen." Rory answered. She was sitting at the kitchen table, her one arm resting comfortable on it, with mounds of books surrounding her.

"Wow, looks like someone is stocking up for another Y2K or something. Have you been listening to Al Gore again?" Lorelai commented as she made her way to the coffee machine.

"Very funny. Do you know how much work I missed? Paris was going to strangle me for missing so much of the paper until she saw my arm and said her work was done."

"Sweet girl that Paris."

Rory sighed. It had been 5 days since the accident. She had been home for four of them and had been trying to catch up on her homework. Her arm still hurt her and she still had bad headaches, but other than that she just wanted people to stop feeling sorry for her. To stop treating her like she was the most fragile thing, or even worse like she had been misled by some bad boy. That she couldn't take. People kept coming up to her and recounting stories about how they had been young and foolish too. It brought tears to her eyes, because they didn't seem to care that Jess still hadn't woken up. She gulped. She couldn't think about that. And Dean was the worst. She felt guilty thinking that, remembering how white and scared he had looked when he had finally came to the hospital. He never left her side while she was there, trying to cheer her up a little with tales of his family in Chicago. She remembered his angry look every time she woke up and asked about Jess. He had tried to hide it but it was still there. She couldn't help it though, it had been her fault.

She still hadn't seen him yet. She hadn't gotten the courage to go there when she was in the hospital and since they hadn't gone to Luke's since then, she couldn't ask how he was. That was another thing that made her feel guilty. Luke and her mom had had a huge fight. She had tried to ask her mom about it, but Lorelai had just brushed it off as a thinglet. But when they tried to go to Luke's for breakfast the day after she came home, it had been closed. Ever since then it had been closed. People were going to starve before Luke finally comes back.

One little perk was that her father was still there. He had gone home for a day but then was back and looked like he was going to stay. She had asked him what Sherry had thought and he told her flat out that Sherry didn't mind, and she knew how important Rory was to him, and that Rory shouldn't worry about it. For some reason, though, Rory didn't believe him. It didn't really matter, though, as long as he was there and her mom was happy he was there.

The phone rang shrilly, interrupting her thoughts. She tried to get back to her homework when she heard her mom pick it up. Five minutes later, her mom came into the kitchen.

"Hey, hon, I need to go back to the inn for a second, Sookie is freaking out. Will you be ok?" Lorelai asked as she fumbled around the kitchen trying to find her purse.

"Yeah, mom, do you want me to order food for you?"

"Yeah, the Chinese takeout menu is in that draw." Lorelai said pointing, remembering that she had been trying to sort that when she had gotten the phone call about Rory. She shook her head slightly, _Rory's ok, and Jess…_ She paused. She felt awful about what she had said to Luke. He had been there for her, always, and he was in need also she was too wrapped up in her own pain. She had gone to the diner the first day fully prepared to apologize, but it was closed. And she hadn't been to the hospital, because Rory hadn't wanted too yet. She sighed when Rory interrupted her thoughts.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sorry hon, just spaced out a little. I got to go." She left, kissing her daughter on the forehead. Rory tried to concentrate again on her work when the doorbell rang. She groaned as she made her way to the door and opened it.

"Luke?"

Luke hadn't slept more than 8 hours in the last week combined. He had barely eaten any of the crappy hospital food, and he had no energy to go anywhere else. He hadn't left the hospital except to go home really fast and take a shower and to put up the CLOSED sign. He felt bad closing his business, he was losing money, but somebody had to be with Jess.

The doctors still didn't have an explanation for why he hadn't woken up. They told him after three days it was time to be concerned. It had been five days and they were now telling him that after two weeks it was time to really worry and start thinking about putting him in a different hospital. He had frozen when they told him that. He didn't want Jess to be in one of those hospitals where they don't care about his well-being. He was hoping that Jess would wake up before then. He was still reading him books, he was now in one of the damn Hemmingway books, which he didn't understand but he knew that Jess liked it.

Liz had left the first day. After Luke had stormed away from Lorelai and had eventually made it back to Jess's room, Liz and the tattoo man had left. They didn't come back until five hours later, but then only to leave two hours later for good. Luke still got angry remembering that conversation.

"_You're leaving?" Luke couldn't believe it. _

"_Yes, Luke, Ken has a job to get back to…" Liz rubbed her hand down Ken's chest. She still looked high and slurred her words a little. _

"_But what about you? Do you even have a job to get back to?" _

"_Luke!" Liz shook her head and then hugged him. "You'll do fine. You can take of Jess, he'll be fine. I just wanted to make sure he's alive and he is so…"_

"_But, he might wake up! You should be here just in case he does. You cannot just dump all of this on me and run off with your boyfriend." Luke jabbed his finger into her face, enraged, spit flying out of his mouth. Ken pulled Liz away and slammed Luke into the wall. Luke slid down to the floor, grunting, the wind knocked out of him. _

"_Goodbye, Luke. Call if he wakes up." Liz whispered and walked away, holding hands with the Ken. _

Luke's back still hurt from that and it didn't help that he had a pounding headache. He had gone back to Jess and tried to continue to read him the book.

Today, his doctor had told him that maybe if someone else, like a friend would come and talk to Jess, maybe that would make a little difference, just a change. Luke had thought about it and the only thing he could think of, he immediately dismissed. But after hours of the idea nagging in his head he decided to follow it through. So after he made sure Jess was settled in, he left and drove back to Stars Hollow. He had stopped right before Lorelai's house because he saw the Jeep there and he didn't want to run into her. His heart stopped for a split second every time he thought about the fight. His stomach twisted into knots as he remembered the woman he cared about blame him for putting her daughter and his nephew into danger. He had dismissed the feelings again once he saw her leave, getting out of his truck and walking towards the door. He didn't really know what he was going to say, but he didn't have time to think about it after he rang the doorbell and Rory answered looking slightly surprised.

"Luke?" Rory asked taking in Luke's appearance in one glance He looked like he was going to fall over. "Do you want to come in and sit down?" Her engraved politeness took the best of the awkward situation. He grunted and moved towards the living room.

"How is your arm?" He asked turning, his exhausted face full of concern.

"It's ok, I have to wear the cast though for two months. We've kinda gotten used to it and mom already named it casty, not very creative, but I think she was tired and…" Rory was rambling, which she did a lot when she was nervous. Luke nodded looking around for something to give him a little bit of encouragement. When he didn't find anything, he turned back to Rory and took a deep breath.

"Can you come see him?" Rory swallowed visibly. "I know it's hard but the doctors say maybe if a friend comes and talks to him, it might make a difference. I've been talking to him all damn day and it hasn't really made a difference but I thought if you came…"

Rory took a breath. _Jess, Jess…_ She nodded barely. Luke continued though as if he didn't see it. "Look, it doesn't have to be today, just know that you are welcome anytime, encouraged even." He swallowed. "Just run it past your mom first, ok?" Rory looked up at him quickly and saw the flash of deep pain. _Mom, what did you do? _"Make sure she knows if you go alright? If you even decide to…" Rory nodded visibly now.

"Ok, Luke, I'll um… think about it." Luke sighed relieved.

"Thank you, Rory." He turned to walk away and then stopped turned abruptly to her, walked up to her and dipped down a little to make him at her eye level. "You know, I understand if you don't feel comfortable or anything but I do want to tell you… I'm glad that you are ok. Alright?" Rory nodded again, surprised at Luke's burst of emotion. She didn't even notice he left as she stood there in considering what he had said. She frowned as she thought about her mom and Luke. _Would they ever make-up? _ Seeing the pain on Luke's face when he even just mentioned her mom made her doubt it.

Later that night, Lorelai and Rory stood outside of the large mansion doors. Rory looked over at her mom.

"Mom?"

"Hold a minute, honey, I have to get up the nerve to walk into hell."

"Mommmm…"

"No, Rory, it's going to bad, I mean colossal bad. At least Dad had been at the hospital to buffer it but he's gone and now it's just us and the devil herself. Thank God your father is coming later."

Rory sighed, rubbing her arm a little. Lorelai noticed and turned to her daughter.

"You know, if you're still in pain, we don't have to do this. She'll understand for you, the angel child."

"Mom, no. I'm fine. We might as well get this over with." And Rory leaned forward to ring the doorbell.

"Evil child." Lorelai whispered as the door swung open. They went in and sat down in the living room and met Emily who politely offered them a drink.

"So, Rory, how are you feeling?" Emily said once they had gotten comfortable.

"I'm fine. Grandma, just a little pain every once in a while." Rory glanced over at her mom who had that concerned anguished look that she tried to hide. Lorelai caught her eye and grinned mischievously.

"So, mom, where is Dad?" Lorelai looked around and the big portrait of her before her coming out dance caught her attention. She didn't really pay attention to it when she was there but looking at now it made her a little sad. She had never had a good relationship with her mother or father, it wasn't their fault she had hated the life they wanted her to live. She had wanted out so bad, and when Rory came she took that chance and never looked back. She hadn't known until recently how bad she hurt her parents, and she felt guilty. She looked back at her mom, discreetly. They will never be like Rory and her, but Lorelai hoped that they would be able to at least have a conversation without yelling at each other. Emily had been there at the hospital to hold her when she broke down, and she was grateful.

"He is in Germany, Lorelai, on business. And where is Christopher?" Emily responded noticing that her daughter looked a little dazed so she turned her attention to her beautiful granddaughter.

"He is coming, he had a meeting." Rory answered. Her arm was really starting to hurt, but she didn't want to seem rude or say anything. She glanced over at her mom, and tried to get her attention but she was still staring at the picture on the wall. "Mom?"

"Yeah, hon?" Lorelai turned her full attention to her offspring.

"Why are you so distracted, Lorelai? You haven't been paying attention at all since you came here, you know that is just rude to come and ignore your hostess" the doorbell rang interrupted Emily's rant, "Oh, good, that must be Christopher." And she got up to get the door.

"Saved be the bell…" Lorelai muttered to Rory.

"No pun to the really cheesy 80s show intended?"

"None, whatsoever." Lorelai grinned as she saw Chris walking in. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about him staying at their house all the time, or the fact that it seems that he broke up with Sherry. It made Rory happy that he was there, and she did feel comfort and safety with him, and formality which felt good at such a hectic time. But she was afraid. Afraid that he might leave again and it would make a bigger impact on both of their lives. She shook her head gently. Better not think about that now.

"Hey, Lore, Rory." Chris greeted his girls, kissing them both on the cheek. They all sat down and started having a normal conversation about Chris' job when the maid came in and told them that dinner was ready. They got up and went to the table, not without a few comments from Lorelai about her mother's new maid. It only took Emily five minutes into the meal, however, to start talking about the accident.

"So, Rory, how long are you going to be in the cast?" Rory and Lorelai looked at each other, the older warning the younger with her eyes that this was not going to go well.

"Um… two months I think." Rory said.

"Wow, that's a long time. And Christopher, are you planning on staying here the whole time?"

"Mom…" Lorelai warned. She knew that this was not going anywhere close to a good place.

"What, Lorelai, he's here, and he does care about Rory, but doesn't he have a job to go home to, someone to go home to?" Emily looked hard at Chris, finding some satisfaction in the fact that he looked uncomfortable. Something fishy was going on, she could tell when he was talking about home and his work. He didn't seem to be confident in what he was saying. Emily just wanted the best for her girls, and she always assumed Christopher was involved in that picture, but she sometimes had her doubts.

"My job understands, Emily, and I have no one to go home to in Boston. Not anymore." Chris said very straight forward glancing at Lorelai when he said it. He wanted her to know that he was there for her always. She caught his gaze and nodded a little smiled, which didn't go unnoticed by Emily, who smiled also. But there was also something else that was bothering her.

She turned to Rory, "How is that boy, the one that was in the car with you?" She noticed instantly that all three of the others tensed. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" _did he die? _It would have been very uncomfortable if she had brought it up if he had.

"No, grandma, um… it's just that… he hasn't woken up yet." Rory stammered. When she said it, her heart stopped, her mind froze and she couldn't breathe for a few seconds. She wanted to see him. She needed to see him. Now. _Jess, Jess, Jess…_ Lorelai noticed Rory's panic in her eyes.

"Rory?" she asked gently.

"Excuse me for a second." Rory said hurriedly as she ran out of the room. She needed to go somewhere quiet. She needed to cry, scream, anything to get this feeling of despair and anguish and anger out. She noticed that her mom had followed her, but she didn't acknowledge it until she felt Lorelai's hand on her arm.

"Rory?" Lorelai pulled her daughter, who was now shaking, into a hug, not wanted to let go. "It's going to be ok. He's going to be ok." _Please let him be okay. _

Rory continued sobbing, mumbling something that Lorelai couldn't really hear for a few seconds and then she understood. "It's my fault." Rory was repeated over and over. Lorelai pulled away a little to be able to look her daughter in the eyes.

"Rory, honey, it is not your fault." Lorelai didn't know how to make that look of anguish go away in her baby's eyes.

"I told him to turn, if I hadn't said yes we would have gone back to Luke's, we wouldn't have crashed, he wouldn't be in a coma…" Rory ranted hysterically, her eyes widening with tears. Lorelai hugged her again, whispering comforting words.

"It is not your fault, you could not have predicted that thing coming out…"

"Mom, it wasn't his fault either." Rory said again, pulling away from her mom. "He didn't make me go, he wasn't driving recklessly, he didn't want to crash my car, Dean's car, he didn't want to end up in a c…"

"Rory, I know…"

"I'm sick of people constantly saying he led me astray, not even caring that he might not wake up…even you." Rory's voice had gone up to a scream and she stood away from her mother, breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face.

"Rory, I know, I care that he hasn't woken up, but when my baby is hurt by someone I get to have an attitude towards them. I won't hate him because he is hurt but I can blame him."

"Mom…that doesn't make sense."

"I know, but as a mother I get to hate the person who hurts their daughter, alright, that is how it goes."  
Lorelai took a deep breath, seeing that her words weren't helping, deciding to give in a little. "But it is not your fault, that I know, and it is not his fault…completely. And I do care that he hasn't woken up, and I feel bad. I want you to know, though, that you can talk to me… tell me when I am crossing the line… because Rory honey, you are my life." Rory paused for a moment and then embraced Lorelai.

After a while, they broke apart and Rory said, "I want to go see him."

"Ok. I'll go get our coats." Lorelai said without asking any questions.

"You're okay with me visiting him?" Rory wanted to make sure, she needed to see Jess, but she needed her mother to be okay with it also. She was her best friend after all. "Cause Luke said to ask you before…"

"Yes, hun, I'm okay with it. Wait, Luke?" Lorelai asked surprised. _Oh, Luke…_ She slammed thoughts of him out of her head.

"Oh, I wasn't supposed to tell you," Rory was rambling now. "He came by and asked me to go and see Jess, because he wasn't responding to anything and the doctors said maybe if a friend came and talked to him, you know read to him or something, and Luke asked me but he also told me to make sure it was okay with you since…"

"Rory, honey," Lorelai took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face her, "I'm okay with it. Let's go." Rory nodded and walked out of the house to the car without looking back. Lorelai went and got their coats, said goodbye to Emily and Chris, who looked really confused still, but didn't try to stop them. They got unto the car and drove to the hospital in silence.

Luke had never been so tired. He was sitting there beside Jess for what seemed like forever, trying to read to him, but ever so often nodding off to be jerked back upright when a nurse walked in. It was now a half past eight and he had no hopes of Rory coming in today. He had thought that she might have come, but then again he remembered that Lorelai probably wouldn't let her. He sighed again thinking about Lorelai. Suddenly someone walked in, not a familiar nurse.

"Are you Mr. Danes?" The young man said. He was wearing a suit. Luke was immediately suspicious of men in suits. _Probably a goddamn lawyer. I hate lawyers. _

"Yes?" Luke replied gruffly, getting up from his seat and shook the man's hand.

"Yes, well, Mr. Danes, I am Mr. Smith from Olliville Hospital…" Luke stiffened. He was from the place you put coma patients. They wanted him to put Jess away. It had only been 5 days. _5 days!_

"Look… I know what you're going to say… you want me ship off my nephew to some godforsaken place where they don't shower him…. And you're going to tell me he will be well taken care of when reality you just want him so that you can get some kind of raise or something." Luke was ranting, waving his arms, getting madder and madder. The man just stood there a little shocked.

"No, Mr Danes, this hospital is for coma patients, but I assure you we shower them." The man said hesitantly. Luke got even madder.

"Get out! Get out!" Luke yelled, physically pushing the man out of the room, just missing Lorelai and Rory who were walking down the hallway. Luke froze when he saw them. Rory looked like she had been crying and Lorelai had that pained expression on her face. Luke walked over to them and stopped in front of Rory.

"Rory, are you okay?" He asked. He wanted to make sure she wanted to do this. Rory nodded, Luke could tell that Lorelai stiffened at that, and when he glanced over at her, he gave her sympathetic look just for a split second, and if she hadn't been searching his face, she wouldn't had seen it. "Ok, this way." And Luke led the way to Jess' room.

Rory stepped hesitantly into the room and saw him. She gasped. He was so pale, so weak, so vulnerable. His face was still battered and bruised and there were so many wires and tubing that it made her sick. She remembered when he had smirked at one of her comments, his eyes alight with amusement and mockery, his eyebrows moving upward. Now she was shut off from his eyes, his beautiful eyes as he lay there slowly breathing. She stepped closer to him slowly not sure what she was going to say or do. She just wanted him to be okay. She tried to fight back the tears of seeing him in this state. She wondered irrationally if he knew that she was there and was just waiting for her to say something, anything. She, after standing still for a good five minutes, sat down in one of the chairs that were next to bed. She moved her hand slowly and touched his, jerking it back a little when she felt how cold his were, but then moved it back again, taking his full hand in hers. Tears came unbidden down her face as she looked at his still one. She could hear her mom and Luke leaving the room but she didn't pay attention. Her other hand moved to touch his soft hair.

"Jess…" She swallowed. "Jess, please, it is Rory." Now she felt like an idiot but she didn't care. "Please, wake up. We're all worried about you. Please." She stroked his cheek for a moment and then quickly removed her hand from his face, but still held his hand. She moved to her purse and pulled out a large book, swallowing again to control her emotions. She coughed to clear her throat and then continued. "Well, if you're going to be stubborn, I think this is a chance for you to hear Ayn Rand, because you do not have a choice." She chuckled softly. "And you'll like it, I promise." She moved a little away, still holding his hand and moved to open the book and starting to read to him.

Lorelia smiled sadly, watching her daughter tenderly touching the young man's face and then starting to read to him. How did she get lucky with such a sweet, gentle kid? She turned slightly to see Luke, who was also looking into the room but seemed to not be paying attention to what was going on. He looked like he was going to fall asleep on his feet. She leaned over a little to him.

"Luke?" He jerked up, turning to look into her beautiful blue eyes. He put his guard up immediately. He didn't have the energy to fight with her.

"Yes?" He responded quietly. "Sorry, is it time for her to go? I know you both must be tired…"

"No, Luke." Lorelai said, searching his face but saw no emotion except for exhaustion. She sighed. He had shut down on her. "I just…. I wanted to… Why don't we sit down?" He did look like he would fall where he stood. He nodded, motioning for her to lead the way.

"Look, I appreciate you letting her come…" Luke started once they had sat down. He didn't meet her eyes, and started fiddling with his hands.

"Luke… It's alright, I mean I would have appreciated you coming to me before going to her…"

"I told her to run it past you first." Luke said quickly.

"I know, Luke. Please I just want to say something. I'm sorry. I freaked out the other day, Rory was hurt I was tired and scared and panicked and I know you were too but I mean… my baby girl was hurt and I needed someone to take it out on… and you were there and it was not your fault…. I don't blame you or Jess…. But you have got to understand that I panicked and please…" Lorelai rambled herself into silence, which rarely happens. She looked at Luke who had still not raised his head, but he has perfectly still and tense. She put her hand gently on his back. "Luke?"

He tensed even more when he felt her hand. He knew that she was sorry, and that he should forgive his friend but the look on her face, it wasn't panic it was accusatory, it was…distrust, betrayal. He had betrayed her by not being able to control his nephew, by putting her daughter in danger, even if inadvertently. He would have done anything to keep Rory out of danger, but he had not thought Jess was a problem and still didn't. Jess was in a coma. And it didn't look like he was going to be waking up soon. It was not either of theirs faults. And she knew it. He knew it.

"Luke?" Lorelai asked again pleadingly. Luke finally turned to her, his face a mask of polite indifference. Her heart sank.

"Lorelai, there is nothing to forgive." Luke said calmly, the opposite of the turmoil of emotions raging inside him. "I know you were panicked, I was panicked, you were just worried about Rory, and I am sorry." Lorelai nodded slowly. She knew he was hiding his true emotions, but also knew that she would never be able to get them out of him, not know. Maybe not ever. She suddenly became very scared. Was she going to lose one of her best friends? She opened her mouth to reply when she heard another familiar voice.

"Lore?" Chris had stopped in front of them with a look of surprise and anger on his face. His Lorelai was comforting the man who was responsible for Rory getting in an accident. Because no matter what anyone said, Chris still blamed Luke. He couldn't blame the kid because he was in a coma and Rory seemed to care about him so Luke was the next best thing, and he thought that Lorelai agreed with him. She hadn't told him about going to apologize to Luke at the diner.

"Chris?" Lorelai stood up to meet him, noticing that Luke had tensed even more when he saw Chris. Luke got up not looking at either of them and walked over to Jess' room and watched Rory continue to read to his nephew.

"What are you doing, Lore?" Chris said in a low whisper, pulling her down the corridor, away from Luke.

"I told you, Rory wanted to see Jess." Lorelai pulled her arm out of his grasp. She stopped squarely in front of him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. He didn't know why he was upset at her.

"But why are you with him?"

"With who… Luke? He was here, Jess is his nephew, remember?"

"Yes, Lorelai, I remember that he supposed to be in charge of him but instead let him run anywhere with Rory, our daughter, and got them into an accident!" He continued, raising his voice as he got even more angry, "I mean, this guy could have…"

"Chris, stop." Lorelai interrupted him, glancing over at Luke who had been looking at them, and caught her gaze, held it for one split second and then quickly dropped his eyes, turning to look back into Jess' room. She swallowed. She had a choice, Luke or Christopher. She knew that Christopher would not see at as a choice but she knew in her gut that if she agreed with Chris just a little, Luke would be lost to her forever. It may seem to Christopher a little thing, but she knew she had hurt Luke more than he was letting on and she may never be able to see that she really did not mean what she had said. But this was a start.

"What?"

"It was not his fault." Lorelai said, a little louder than necessary, but she wanted Luke to hear. "It was not Jess' fault, it was an accident, something that no one could have controlled. And you have to be careful… because Rory thinks that it is her fault, and she may feel even guiltier with you spouting accusations at others, people she happens to care about." She noticed that Luke seemed to be listening attentively while staring at Jess. She meant what she said. She didn't think it was his fault or Jess'.

"Lore…" Christopher looked at her for a while.

"Chris. I'm glad you're here I really am but please…"

He nodded slowly. "Ok, Lorelai, Ok." He enveloped her in his strong arms, Lorelai relaxing completely in his comfort. They stayed like that for a moment and then broke apart. Lorelai moved to Jess' room, Chris following, Lorelai catching his hand with hers.

Luke glanced at the two of them. He felt no emotion to seeing Lorelai holding Chris' hand. He was numb on the inside… He needed to sleep. He needed sleep so badly. He needed Liz to be here for her son, he needed Jess to wake up. JESS! He screamed in his head, closing his eyes and gently resting his head on the glass window. He wanted to punch it but he couldn't even get the energy to do that. He sensed Lorelai standing next to him and he looked up, pretending that nothing was wrong. Rory was still reading to Jess, sometimes pausing to look at him tenderly, squeezing his hand, and then continued to read.

He couldn't hear anything. The silence scared him to the core. It took him a second to realize that everything was white. Everything was pure and agonizing white. Insane asylum white. It took him another second to realize he couldn't move. That brought him into another panic. His breath came short and rapidly. He tried to control his panic. Suddenly, distantly, he heard a voice. He first sighed with relief at being able to hear anything and then tried to concentrate on what the voice was saying. It sounded feminine and as if it was reading something. And then his world was no longer white but black and he heard the deafening sound of glass breaking and screaming and then an impact that jerked him upright.

"Jess?"


	3. Waking and Dreaming

Chapter 3

Rory had been reading for about a half an hour. Lorelai had brought her coffee after fifteen minutes and she was able to continue reading even though the lump in her throat reformed every time she looked at Jess. She noticed that Luke had come into the room and sat in the chair and had promptly fallen asleep, but she just leaned closer to Jess, lowered her voice, and continued to read. Ayn Rand was really not the best but she wanted to feel like she was doing something to help. Her mind continued to wander though. What if he was never the same? What if he never woke… she stopped those thoughts before they could go any further because then she would start crying.

She stopped abruptly when she noticed that something was happening with the machines. She looked closer at Jess and he seemed to be jerking and breathing rapidly.

"Luke!" Rory cried, and Luke jerked awake and quickly came to Jess' side and grabbed his hand while yelling for a doctor. Before any could come in though, Jess jerked upright, gasping and breathing heavily, his wide open in a wild panic.

"Jess?" Rory and Luke both cried moving forward to grab him to try and comfort him. He looked continuously around the room, his eyes not landing on anything, not recognizing anything, not focusing. Luke had also a blind moment of panic, before the doctors rushed in and starting messing with the machines. Luke jerked in shock as he felt a hand grab his and he looked to see Jess looking directly at him, still with wild eyes, which then turned to look at Rory, who was crying. Jess looked at her blankly, and then his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed on the bed.

Both Luke and Rory sat down in shock. Luke took a moment and then looked at the doctors.

"Is he ok?"

"His brain functions are better than they were. It shows definite signs of improvement that he woke up, and at least was responsive, but we still have to wait until he fully wakes up. This sleep however is lighter than the coma before, so there is hope." The doctor looked at Luke with sympathy. He looked up to see Lorelai enter the room. Rory quickly rushed to her mom, biting back a sob. He had woken up. But it was the scariest thing she could think of. It just brought on more fears that he would not be the same after this, he didn't even recognize her. He didn't even recognize her! She started crying harder as her mom soothingly ran her fingers through her hair, mumbling words of encouragement.

Luke couldn't take it anymore. He had to get out before he lost it. He gently pushed the two of them outside the room, and when Chris moved to help comfort Rory, he stalked off into a room he knew was vacant. He slammed the door shut and then leaved heavily against the wall, taking deep breaths. He was trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall but couldn't. He didn't want to go through this again. Not again. He had already been through this with his parents, each dying from an illness that had forced them to spend their last days in the hospital gasping for life. He couldn't take it. He turned blindly and punched the wall as hard as he could. He then collapsed against the wall breathing in slowly. Jess was going to be okay. He was going to be okay. He had woken up, at least, that was a good sign, but… the wild look in the boy's eyes would probably haunt him for the rest of his life. That wasn't Jess. Jess had always layers of emotions in his eyes, walls that you couldn't break through without a sledge hammer. It was how he had managed to live for so long in such rough circumstances. But this… Never had he seen him so broken. It hurt.

Luke took a few more deep breaths before remembering that Rory and Lorelai were still there and Rory would be more scared than him. He pulled himself off the floor, wiped his face to make sure there were no tears, and then went back to his nephew's room, noticing that Lorelai and Rory had not moved from where he had gently moved them. He moved to Jess' side and took his hand gently.

Lorelai tried to fight back tears as her baby girl was sobbing her heart out and as one of her best friends was standing alone devastated. _How did things get this bad?_ She had seen from the hallway where she and Christopher had been sitting Jess wake up and his panicked reaction. She hoped that it was improvement but really now all she could feel was the mounted tension in the room. The lingering question of _Will he be the same? _was hanging above everyone. She felt Rory pull away from her slightly, and she looked down at her beautiful daughter. She read the question on her face in an instant and shook her head. "You can come back tomorrow. For now, let's go home." Rory nodded slowly, before wiping her tears and moved to where Luke was sitting. He turned to her, fought the exhaustion off of his face, and smiled gently at her.

"Thank you, Rory." He whispered. She nodded again. "I'll see you tomorrow." She turned and the three moved to leave the hospital. Suddenly there was a moan from the bed. A panicked groan, almost a scream. They all quickly looked back at Jess, whose eyes were still closed, but was saying something.

"Jess? Jess, come on man, wake up." Luke begged his nephew, leaning closer to him so that he could hear what he was trying to say.

"ROOORRRYY" Jess groaned, barely audible. He was thrashing as if he was having a bad dream. Luke quickly looked up and turned to look into Rory's shocked face.

"He's calling for you…" Luke whispered. Rory nodded, and with a nudge of permission from her mom moved forward to take Jess's hand and leaned forward and whispered "I'm here, I'm here, you're going to be okay." Jess stopped groaning but continued to thrash, although not as violently. Rory put a soothing hand through his hair and repeated herself for what seemed like hours, but was only really a few minutes, until he finally calmed down into a deep sleep, his hand still gripped in hers. Rory never looked away from him, but she sensed Lorelai and Luke leaving the room. She pulled up a chair closer to his bed and laid her head down, and she couldn't help but smile. There was hope.

Lorelai gently nudged Luke, motioning to him that she wanted to talk. He hesitated, lingering on Jess' face before moving to follow Lorelai out into the hallway. She ignored Chris besides a slight shake of the head that he was not to follow them and then led Luke to the chairs they had sat in before.

"Is it alright if she stays here for a bit longer?" Luke asked, still whispering. It seems like his voice was going the way of his strength, both slowly leaking out at the exhaustion of the events still pounded on him. He looked into Lorelai's eyes and could see kindness, something he had missed these last few days. This was his Lorelai, the one that annoyed the hell out of him every day, but still was able to make him fell like there was something good in the world with her smile.

"I was just about to ask you that." Lorelai said, smiling slightly. "I'll run home and grab her some things, and then I'll be back. DO you want me to bring you anything? An air mattress, maybe? Although this is a hospital I'm sure they could lend you one." Luke shook his head, quickly. He nodded gratefully, as she leaned over and squeezed his hand before getting up and walking over to Chris, who had been watching and who had to quickly shake off his frown.

Luke suddenly thought about Liz. Should he call her? His first thought was a quick no, she wouldn't do anything about it. But maybe? NO. He'll call her when Jess was fully awake and functioning. Another thought popped into his head but he quickly dismissed it. One deadbeat parent was enough. There was no need to involve Jess' father. Anyways, he didn't even know how to get in touch with him. Liz might have the number, but that would involve calling Liz, and he had already dismissed that. Suddenly, he was incredibly hungry. Maybe he should get something to eat? What about the diner? Luke groaned again as he thought about how much he was going to fall behind in everything if he continued to keep his diner closed. But there was no other choice. He really wished that Liz was here, or maybe someone who knew better how to handle this. Luke sighed heavily and went into Jess' room and fell asleep again on those incredibly uncomfortable chairs.

Every since he was about 8 or 9, Jess had been plagued by incredibly vivid nightmares. He was usually able to snap out of it before he got to the screaming stage now, and it had only happened once or twice in Stars Hollow, but that was one of the reasons why he blared music when he slept. He found that it kept the nightmares away. When he was younger, they usually involved his mother being either drunk or high. She would be screaming at him, waving her hands around, which usually were full of some vodka bottle, and there was glass everywhere. And then he would be stuck. He couldn't get out of the room, or the house, as she would rant at him. He would become so scared that she would hit him, or hurt herself, when she would collapse. He would always try and wake her up and that was when he would wake up screaming. As he grew older, they would involve things that he had seen on the streets, now that he old enough to go out of the house. Things he would never mention to anyone, but always still plagued his sleep. There was this one time…

_Jess loved to sit in the park and read. No one bothered him there. No one cared. Everyone was in there own little world, just trying to survive. Tonight he had brought along one of his favorites, _Catcher and the Rye_ and had settled down for a long haul. Suddenly a screeched interrupted him, jerking him upright. It wasn't a normal sound, and he knew the sounds of the park. He got and ran at a sprint towards that sound and he found a girl being roughly forced unto the ground by three large guys. Jess didn't even hesitate as he threw his slightly smaller than average 15 year old body at the large men, trying to pull them off the girl. They turned and pulled a knife, yelling at him to mind his own business and get the hell out. In his dreams, everything turned into slow motion as he started fighting the men, every blow magnified tenfold. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the girl running away. _Good, _he thought before seeing the glint of the knife, and then the fear of what they could do to him…_

And he would always wake up screaming. He still had the scar from the knife wound that had slashed his arm, and could still remember the bruises that they made when they pushed him down and… he was never so thankful for the police that had come running in at the right moment. He never went back to the park, and the nightmares only stopped being every night after a year had passed.

When Liz was in one of her sober moods that may last a few weeks or so, she tried to convince him to go to a psychiatrist. That argument didn't last very long. He usually just walked out on her, leaving her yelling that she was his mother he had to listen, and punched the first thing that he could find, which was usually a door or a wall. Why, how, could she think that taking notice of him every once in awhile meant that he was required to respect her? Yeah he loved his mom, in a way that he would be sad if she died, but not in the way that he would be able to carry on a conversation for longer than 5 minutes without becoming incredibly angry.

He had started walking, haunting the streets of New York City at night, which every in the right mind knew was a death wish. But he learned a lot. After the incident in the park, he learned to fight. He bummed his first smoke from some homeless guy, he got his first drink from another, he had his first girl… that didn't turn out very well. Things continued to change as he grew older, he continued to learn and see things. The only way he could truly keep the bad things from haunting him in the daylight were his books. He read for the enjoyment of being able to be in somebody else's mind for once, experience someone else's experiences. He loved it.

But at night things came back. He couldn't escape them in his sleep. He had started to wish he had insomnia. But towards the end, before he came to Stars Hollow, he was spiraling so off the edge that he never could remember his dreams. It was a miracle that he had made it to Stars Hollow in one piece.

This time, however, his nightmare was different and completely new. It had started off peacefully.

"_How about you try concentrating?" Rory said, trying to hide her smirk as he played with the deck of cards. _

"_I am concentrating; do you know how hard it is to do this trick?" He smirked at her, quirking his eyebrow when he saw her roll her eyes. He grinned inwardly knowing that she really wasn't upset. He loved that he could see this sort of mischievous side of her. _

"_Come on read this last chapter and we'll go get ice cream…" She was reaching, trying to find a compromise._

"_In cones?" _

"_What?" _

"_Ice cream is always better in cones." She smiled at him, and he felt like he had no care in the world. Like nothing bad had ever happened to him. She was so beautiful. _

"_Alright let's go." And then suddenly they were in a car. He didn't know whose car, it looked unfamiliar to him, but he and Rory were laughing and talking and eating ice cream and then suddenly… the force of the impact made his head snap back, and his body scream in pain. Everything was a blur, with glass breaking and screams filling the air. Then all he could see was Rory, lying so still. He moved to reach out to her, but found that he couldn't move. Blood was dripping down her face…. _

"_Rory!" He screamed, "Rory!" Then he felt pressure on his hand and a soft voice ripping through the panicked filled car. _

"_I'm here, I'm here, you're alright." That didn't calm him that much, he didn't care if he was alright, was she? But the pressure on his hand was soothing and he was able to calm down… and the nightmare was over. He finally felt safe. _

Lorelai's mind was still reeling as she pulled into her driveway, with Chris pulling in behind her. She started to feel even guiltier about what she had said to Luke when Jess was obviously in pain or whatever was going on. She had kept Rory away from Jess for 5 whole days. 5 days! Yeah, she hadn't told Rory outright she couldn't visit him, but she never even considered that it might help. And Luke… she stopped up short when she saw Dean sitting on their steps. She sighed inwardly. She was so tired. Dean stood up to meet them, and murmured a soft hello to Chris, who stepped past him and let himself into the house.

"Hi Lorelai." Dean sounded incredibly sad. Lorelai sighed again. Dean was having trouble dealing with Rory. He wanted to be supportive because she had been hurt, but he also wanted to be mad at Jess for not only wrecking his car but also hurting Rory. And on the other hand he also saw how upset Rory was.

"Dean. What's up?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I was hoping that I could see Rory?" Dean asked, noticing that Rory wasn't with them. His heart sank.

"She's at the hospital."

"Oh is she alright?" Dean asked, panicked.

"Yeah, she's fine." Lorelai hesitated, but knew that it should be out in the open. "She's visiting Jess. He woke up, well sort of, but she was really a help so I am going to take some things to her." Lorelai saw Dean's face tighten into a frown.

"Oh, Ok." Dean sighed.

"Dean." Lorelai prompted, knowing that the boy wanted to talk.

"She's going to be with him a lot, isn't she?"

Lorelai sighed. "Yes, she is… Dean, look. I know you might be uncomfortable with this, but he woke up because of her. She is really helping not only him, but also Luke and herself."

Dean was quiet for a moment. He ached for the simpler times with Rory, when they had great times watching movies and talking, and him watching her spend hours buying books. When they did fight, it was about little things, or about things that could be settled in a simple calm talk. But now, ever since _he _came their arguments had become fiercer, more damaging and the same one over and over again. He knew that _he_ was no good. She didn't believe him. He knew that _he_ was messing with them. She refused to stop spending time with him. He saw the glances, the flirting, the talking about books, and the way _he _showed up every time they were doing good. And then the accident. He still wanted to punch the lights out of him, but then he remembered that he was in a coma and he felt slightly guilty. Only for a few seconds and then he would see his car and could just imagine Rory and Jess together and it made his blood boil. And now _he_ was crawling his way in because he needed help. He needed to talk to Rory, but her mother was also good to talk to.

"What should I do?" he asked, trying to sound like he wasn't scared. Because he was. He was mad as hell, but he was also scared of losing her.

"Oh, hon, the best thing you can do is be there for her. And know that she still loves you." Lorelai replied, hoping that that would be enough, even when a feeling in her gut told her that Dean really had no chance against Jess. She remembered the tender look on Rory's face as she brushed her fingers through Jess's hair. She sighed again inwardly. Dean nodded and then turned to leave.

"Can you tell her to call me when she can?" Dean asked, meeting her eyes with pleading sad eyes. Lorelai nodded. And then she moved into her house where she can saw Christopher watching from the window.

"Is he going to be okay?" Christopher asked when Lorelai entered the room.

"No, but hopefully he will be. He's just worried about Rory."

"Should we be worried about Rory?" Chris asked hesitantly. He really didn't want to get into a fight again.

"I think once they know for sure that Jess will be okay, she will be okay."

"Are you ok?" Lorelai turned to him, suddenly grateful that she had someone there for her. _Luke_ she swallowed her guilt and had to turn away. Luke had nobody. But Chris was here for her and she loved him for it. But Luke…

"Lore?"

"I'm alright" Lorelai responded, turning again to face him. "I'm just so tired." He nodded. "And hungry."

"Let's get some food, then. Where do you want to go?"

"We could go to Luke's…" Lorelai again was stabbed with guilt as she remembered that Luke's had been closed every since the accident. She was preoccupied, so she missed the look that flashed across Chris's face.

"Isn't it closed?" Chris really wanted to get as far away from the topic of Luke as possible. He understood when Lorelai had told him that he was might hurt Rory when he blamed Luke, but he still didn't like the looks that Lorelai was giving the guy. He couldn't figure them out, it seemed like guilt and sadness and little bit of something else. He didn't have the guts to ask though. He just knew that he had to keep her away from him. Away from Luke.

"Yeah, I forgot. How about Chinese?" Lorelai breezed into the hallway to pick up the phone and make their order. She the plopped herself down on the sofa, and Chris moved to start rubbing her shoulders. She groaned gratefully as she felt some of the tension leave her. Then she felt a shiver run through her as he kissed her neck. She closed her eyes and leaned back as he continued to work magic on her neck with his mouth. She grabbed his hand and motioned for him to come around to her side of the sofa and he did so with a look of satisfaction and anticipation. But right as he was about to kiss her again a phone rang shrilly. They both groaned and Chris pulled his phone out of his pocket, and looked at the caller id with surprise.

"Ignore it." Lorelai said as moved over and started kissing his neck. He pulled back, hesitated, but then shook his head and answered the phone with an entirely fake smile on his face.

"Hello?"

"_Christopher?" _ A woman's voice responded, _"Where are you babe?"_

"I'm in Stars Hollow." Chris said running and hand through his hair and moving off the couch, motioning to Lorelai that he would be right back. She nodded while turning on the TV and pushing off her shoes to become more comfortable. He smiled gently, _she is so beautiful._

"_Why?" _she sounded angry and he could hear her opening a bottle. He sighed.

"I told you, Sherry, Rory was in an accident. She broke her arm and I'm here to help Lorelai with her."

"_Oh… Lorelai, I should have known." _He heard a crash and was about to ask about it when she continued, _"Did you two sleep together yet?" _

"Sherry." Chris sighed. Sherry had always been blunt, painfully so. She was beautiful, driven and ambitious, but also wanted kids and a family and stability. She thought that he could provide it for her, but when things starting going not as planned, she drank. He had come home late one night, and she was convinced that he had been cheating on her, so she had drank a whole bottle of vodka. He had found her lying passed out in the bathroom and it broke his heart. But now was different. He wanted to be with Lorelai.

"Sherry, I meant to talk to you earlier…"

"_You moved out. Without telling me, while I was on a business trip." _Chris cringed. _"And now I find out you're with your ex girlfriend and mother of your child. Just be straight with me Chris, goddamn, I deserve the truth." _ If Lorelai had been listening she would have instantly replied by quoting A Few Good Men, 'You can't handle the truth'. But thankfully Lorelai wasn't listening and he knew that Sherry wouldn't get the reference. So he sighed and mentally braced himself to do something he had not realized until recently that he had wanted to do for a long time.

"Sherry, I can't do this anymore."

"_You bastard. You didn't even have the guts to say it to my face?..." _Chris sighed again as Sherry went on to curse him and rant and rave before finally hanging up. He stayed still for a moment, quickly thinking of a story for Lorelai if she asked questions.

"That was Sherry?" He jumped and turned around to find Lorelai watching him with a calm expression that was also slightly confused and he could also read the accusation in it. _Damn. _

Lorelai had tried really hard not listen in to the conversation, but the repeated mention of the name Sherry got her curious. Chris had told her that she was no longer in the picture. Why was she calling him? Had Chris lied to her? She had heard his last statement and was even more confused. She could tell by his face though, as he refused to look her in the eyes, and was glancing around the room. She could tell that he was trying to find a story that would meet her curiosity.

"Look, Lore. Sherry just called to tell me she would be out of the house tomorrow and that I could go pick up the rest of my stuff then." Chris said smoothly, moving forward to take Lorelai's hands. He leaned in hesitantly for a kiss, and sighed mentally in relief when she responded to his a kiss. She pulled back after a second though and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Everything is ok right?"

"Yes, Sherry and I are done. I am with you now. If that is what you want?" When he saw the small smile on her face he moved into for another kiss, this one more passionate. He smiled inwardly when Lorelai started leading them towards the sofa.

This time he woke up slowly. First he felt a tingling in his body as if it had become numb. And then a slight burn when he tried to move it. Then he could hear movement and he could smell… sterile. That was the only word to describe it. He didn't want to think too much about it because the next thing he felt was pressure on his hand. A slight comforting pressure that he had didn't remember being there. He slowly opened his eyes and saw white. The walls were white. He was in a hospital? He groaned before realizing that he had groaned out loud.

Rory had been sleeping fitfully for the last few hours. She jerked awake however for no real apparent reason, and decided to go get something to drink. She was hesitant to leave him, but Luke managed to convince her that he would be here and it would be alright. She had just walked into the room when she him open his eyes and look around the room and then groan. She cried out without realizing it and flew to his side.

"Jess? Jess? Oh God, Luke, he's awake." Luke jerked awake from his chair and moved forward to take Jess' other hand. Jess simply looked at them, his eyes a little panicked.

"Jess?" Luke said, as doctors started coming into the room, Dr. Ramon walked over to stand beside Luke and leaned forward towards Jess.

"Jess? Please can you answer some questions? My name is Dr. Ramon, please can you look at me?" Jess nodded meeting the doctors eyes. "Good, do you know your name?" Jess opened his mouth but nothing came out. He cleared his throat and then hoarsely replied "Jess." There was a huge sigh of relief from all around the room as Luke and Rory grinned happily at each other. "Do you know what year it is?" "2002" "Who is president?" "Bush" "Do you recognize them?" The doctor asked finally, motioning to both Rory and Luke.

The next few seconds seemed like an eternity as Jess looked at both Luke and Rory, slowly. They both held their breath.


	4. Doctors and Memories

A/N - I kinda forgot this part in the first chapter so here is the disclaimer. I own nothing. I also am take some liberties with the extent of Jess' injuries. I know nothing about comas and such except from what I've seen on House and Grey's Anatomy and they prove that really anything can happen.

Thank you again for all who reviewed. It means alot to know that you are reading and liking this.

Chapter 4

Doctors and Memories

Rory could not stop crying. She had locked herself in one of the bathroom stalls what seemed like an eternity ago and had started sobbing. All of the pain and guilt and anguish and everything that had been coursing through her ever since the accident were finally being let out as she fell to her knees on the dirty hospital floor. The last few hours had seemed to have stretched for years ever since Jess had woken up. She had never felt so alone. She finally was able to reach into her pocket and get out her phone, her hands shaking with emotion as she pressed number 1 on speed dial and waited for her mother to pick up.

"Hello?" Lorelai groggily answered the phone that had disturbed her and Chris' blissful sleep.

"Mom?" Lorelai woke up fully at the sound of her daughter's voice.

"Rory?"

"Mom… I need you here." Rory choked out before breaking down again. She barely heard her mother tell her that she was on her way before she hanged up the phone and put her head into her hands.

"_Do you recognize them?"_

_Jess looked at the both of them slowly. They both held their breath. Jess closed his eyes, in obvious pain. And the Doctor moved forward again. _

"_Jess, are you in pain?" Jess nodded reaching his hand to hold his head, before noticing that someone was holding it. He focused on Luke hazily. _

"_Uncle Luke… never knew you for the touchy feely guy." Jess croaked out. Luke grinned with a sigh of relief, but still let go of his hand, and Jess moved it to hold his head, groaning a little in pain. He sensed though that there was someone else in the room. He opened his eyes again and turned to look at the other side of the bed. He frowned a little through the pain. _

"_Who…" Jess bit back another groan as he held his head again. A few seconds and his body started seizing and his eyes rolled back into his head, and he opened his mouth to let out a heart wrenching pain filled scream. Luke and Rory were both pushed out of the way as the doctors moved forward to try and give him something for the pain. Time stood still. All Rory could see was the pain written all over Jess's face and hear the agonizing scream. Finally, finally, he stopped. The doctors were able to sedate him. But he was unconscious. A small drop of blood was coming out of the side of his mouth. That was the breaking point for her. _

She had run from the room before Luke could reach out to try and comfort her. She felt slightly bad leaving Luke to deal with that but she need to get away from that heart wrenching sound. She continued to stay there until she heard someone coming into the bathroom and she tried to choke back the sobs.

"Rory?" The second she heard her mother's voice, she pulled herself off the floor, whipped open the door and buried herself into her mother's open arms.

* * *

Lorelai was having serious déjà vu as she drove as fast as she could to the hospital. The phone call kept replaying in her head. She had never heard her daughter so upset. She punched the steering wheel in frustration. Her daughter had to go through whatever happened alone, and she had been at home with Chris? How could she have done this? She should have been with Rory. She knew how upset she had been. She reached the hospital in again record time and she made her way to Jess' room. There she found only Luke. She stopped breathing for a second until Luke looked up at her with exhausted eyes. _When was the last time he slept? _

"I think she is in the bathroom." Luke said before she could get a word out. "He woke up. But then…." He swallowed hard, not quite meeting her eyes, "they took him in for more tests." Lorelai nodded and then turned to leave. "Lorelai." Luke's voice stopped her. It had been a long time since he had said her name like that. Gently, not angry.

"He didn't recognize her." Luke said looking straight into her eyes for the first time in days. He saw the sadness and anguish cloak her beautiful eyes as she realized the pain her daughter must be going through. She nodded again and turned to find her girl. Luke dropped his head into his hands. He hoped everything would be okay. His heart ached for Rory, who he knew cared about Jess. He was so grateful he recognized him, but not to know Rory? He should call Liz. Tell her that her kid would be okay. He hesitated again though. Maybe he should talk to Jess first. The thought that he could actually talk to Jess cheered him up a slight bit. He was nodding off into the welcome bliss of sleep when the Dr. Ramon came back into the room.

"Mr. Danes?" Luke jerked fully awake and stood up to talk to the man, who looked grim.

"What is wrong with him?" Luke asked.

"He is going to be okay. The headache is rather serious side effect and we are going to be giving him medicine. He had a slight swelling on the brain that is causing it which we didn't see until now. The procedure will mean he would have to stay a couple of days."

"But he's awake right?" Luke said hesitantly. Everything was too much, _swelling on the brain? _

"Yes, but it seems he doesn't quite remember the accident. He'll be back in the room in a moment." The doctor turned to leave. Luke stopped him.

"After he gets out of here, what kind of extra care will he need?" he asked.

"He'll need to take it easy for a while. And not push himself to do too many things. He will probably still get slight headaches and will need to take medicine and come in for frequent checkups. But other than that there would be no extensive care." Luke sighed with relief. That he could handle. Maybe. He didn't even notice the doctor squeeze his shoulder encouragingly and leave the room. Luke just started thinking of everything he had to do. Order all the food for the diner, because he knew a lot of the stuff would have gotten bad after 5 days. He continued to distract himself from the slight panic he was feeling by thinking of all the things the diner might need. Because he _was_ going to panic. Jess was going to be alright but he knew the boy was not going to have an easy recovery. He wondered if maybe Jess would rather be with him mother, even though he would hate it because Liz was so…. But he could he do this? Could he take care of a hurting, angry, and frustrating Jess? A smart ass one was hard enough. Luke knew he had no choice, he couldn't abandon his nephew at this time, but he still didn't know if he could do it.

His self-deprecating musing was stopped when Jess was wheeled back into the room in a wheelchair. Jess was still pale, but was grumbling under his breath about having to use a wheel chair. Luke jumped and moved to help him onto the bed. Jess batted his hands away and slowly did it himself. There was silence for after the nurse left.

"So… how are you feeling?" Luke asked in his customarily awkward way. Jess gave him slight smirk. He was about to say something that would have been his customary one syllable answer but then he really looked at Luke. He looked like he was about to fall over exhausted.

"Not as bad as you look." Jess said. He was tired also, all the tests and needles and such had really hurt. And there was also this nagging feeling like he was missing something. And he still couldn't remember why the hell he was in the hospital. That thought made him angry and frustrated.

"What happened?" He almost snarled at Luke, before regretting it instantly when Luke visibly flinched. He was about to apologize when Luke answered him.

"You were in a car accident." Jess closed his eyes, racking his brain trying to remember. He remembered coming to Stars Hollow, which seemed like years ago, and he remembered meeting people, but their faces were blurred, but they seemed unimportant. There was something there though. _Someone _who was important but he just couldn't picture a face, or know why. He opened his eyes as Luke continued.

"You were in a coma for about 5 days." Jess whistled slowly. 5 days? He remembered the last time that he had been in the hospital that long was when he broke his leg after being thrown down a good 3 flights of stairs when he was 10. He told everyone he had just fallen down, and no one knew him well enough to know that he was never clumsy. Not that clumsy anyways.

"Was anyone else hurt?" Jess asked. He knew the answer when Luke looked down, looking sad. He swallowed hard, again trying to remember. There had been screams and glass, he knew that, but he couldn't remember if there had been headlights or not. But his heart stopped when he heard Luke's next words.

"Rory was in the car, she broke her arm…." Jess blocked the rest of Luke's words after the first phrase. _Rory _Rory? The name felt right. The name itself brought a comfort that he had really never felt before. Btu he couldn't for the life of him remember anything else about this Rory, or picture her face. He grunted in frustration. She must have been important.

"Jess? Jess?" Luke asked a little panicked. Jess had gone back into himself, his frustration showing on his face. Luke reached out a touched his hand gently but Jess jerked away from him. He finally opened his eyes and all Luke could see was anger, dark confused anger.

"Luke." Jess said in a low warning voice. _Leave me alone. _Luke read the silent command and he nodded.

"I'll be right outside if you need anything." Luke hesitated but then nodded again and left the room.

Jess shut his eyes to try and stem the tears. He never cried. Hadn't since he was six. But not only did he hurt all over but he couldn't remember. He couldn't. And then he had hurt Luke, who he actually liked even though he would never say it. And he was going to hurt this Rory person by not remembering her. He tried to calm himself. _Ok, what do you remember? _

He remembered Liz. That hurt in all sorts of ways, so he left that alone. He remembered New York City and everything that had happened there. He remembered getting on the bus to Stars Hollow and getting off in hell. He remembered the first few days where everything he saw wanted to make him kill himself or someone else. He remembered this woman who always was there talking to Luke. Her name started with an L, he thought, Laura? Doctor Laura? No, he grinned tightly as he remembered that he had called her that after she had tried to tell him that he should try and make the best out of the situation here in hell with Luke. She also had a daughter who was around his age. He remembered Taylor. God, why did he remember Taylor without having to try and remember him? That made him laugh to himself slightly. God he was so tired…

* * *

For the second time in a few hours Lorelai's heart was breaking. Her beautiful daughter, who was the nicest sweetest person in the world, was having her heart shattered to pieces. And there was no one to hurt that had caused it. Except for the higher power that was probably laughing at them now. Because it wasn't Jess's fault that he couldn't remember Rory. Lorelai knew that and it hurt even more. It was a helpless situation and she pulled Rory closer to her.

Rory was beyond thought or reason. Her sobs racked her body without her noticing. Memories were flashing before her eyes, and they made her sob even more.

"_Well, what is much?" _

"_Good bye, Dodger." _

"_Dodger?" _

"_Figure it out." _

"_Oliver Twist." She had turned to see him slightly smirking at her, making her blush slightly as she nodded. _

_The quiet stream around them was peaceful as they talked about books and authors. _

"_You know, Hemingway had only good things to say about you." She blushed again but covered it up by asking the question that had really been bothering her the whole day._

"_Why are you only nice to me?" _

"_Excuse me?" _

"_A few hours again you were mean to Dean and then you completely nice to me. Why?" _

"_It meant being mean to Dean in order to be here being nice to you." _

"_So it was a plan." _

"_Turn left." _

Her breath hitched as she finally tried to control her sobs. He didn't recognize her. She tried to convince herself that he really had no reason to. She was just some girl in a place that he hated that he loved to torment and talk about books to. She tried to convince herself that all his little looks and smirks and raised eyebrows meant nothing, no reason for him to remember her. She tried and failed. Because _she _had been the only person in town that he had talked to besides Luke. _She_ was the only one who he let borrow his books. _She _had been there in that car, telling him to turn left.

Maybe he will never remember her. Maybe the sarcastic guy that hid behind incredibly witty comebacks and the snarky attitude that she hated to admit that she liked will never be the same. Maybe he will leave…. NO. She knew for a fact that no matter what, even if he didn't remember her, she couldn't have him leave. Not like this. She wanted to talk to him, to try and make him laugh, to be annoyed when he could make her blush so easily. As a friend. She ignored the small voice in her head that was reminded her that her boyfriend, _her_ _boyfriend, _Dean would not like that very much but she pushed it aside. She had to help and if Dean didn't understand that is just too bad. She swallowed down her guilt at that but then her determination came back.

She pulled slightly away from her mother and quickly tried to wipe her face.

"Honey?" Lorelai asked gently. Her baby girl still looked like the world was crashing around her, but she had a determined look in her eyes.

"Mom," Rory croaked out. She cleared her throat and continued, "Jess needs me." Lorelai hesitated but nodded in understanding. Pride surged through her as she hugged Rory again. Rory was going to be there for the kid no matter what. Lorelai knew there was going to be consequences, with Dean and even Chris, but her daughter was not going to leave someone she cared about to go through something like this alone. A fresh wave of guilt rolled over her. She had done the exact opposite.

"Ok. Let's clean you up first." Lorelai said, ignoring the guilt and moving Rory towards the sink.

A good ten minutes later they both walked down the hall towards Jess's room to find Luke standing outside of the room watching Jess through the window. He looked slightly angry, but erased it from his face when he looked up and saw Lorelai and Rory. He quickly straighten and walked to meet them, not hesitating to reach out and hug Rory. He sensed her surprise, but he held on tighter until she hugged him back a little shyly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, holding her slightly away so that he could look into her eyes.

"Yeah, I will be." Rory answered. "May I see him?" Luke hesitated. "Please?"

"He's kind of upset." Luke warned while still leading her to the room. She nodded and slowly opened the door.

Lorelai moved to stand beside Luke as they both watched from the window.

"Luke? Are _you_ okay?" Lorelai asked. Luke looked at her slightly and nodded without further comment and turned away from her again. Lorelai sighed.

"Luke?" she said softly.

"Did you bring anything for Rory?" Luke suddenly asked.

"What?"

"You left earlier to get something for Rory so that she could stay here." His voice was lacking any emotion, when it usually would have been teasing and slightly accusing. Lorelai winced. She forgot? She forgot her daughter? She promised herself she would never let that happen and the minute her daughter needed her most, she got distracted by a boy. She wanted to kick herself for being so stupid and selfish.

"It's…uh… in the car." Lorelai lied, wincing again when Luke turned and stared blankly at her. Not good, if she wanted things to be right between them she shouldn't lie. She swallowed her pride and corrected herself, "I got a little distracted." He nodded and turned again away from her. She decided not to make things worse so she remained quiet and turned also to watch Jess and Rory.

* * *

Jess jerked out of his trip down memory lane, which was surely lacking in detail and life, to see a beautiful girl walk into his room. She was wearing a cast on her arm and her long brown hair was swept back in a ponytail. Her eyes were red, he could tell that she had been crying, but she was still beautiful. And there was something familiar about her. He just couldn't put a finger on it. Was she the Rory that was in the car? Oh no…

He straightened on the bed and watched her as she made her way to one of the chairs. She opened her mouth to try and talk but then closed it again looking around the room embarrassed. He didn't say anything. She finally turned to him.

"Hi." Rory winced inwardly. Was that the best she could come up with it? She relaxed a little when she saw the familiar smirk on Jess's face.

"Hi." He paused. "Does it hurt?" he motioned towards her arm. She glanced down at it, a little shocked as she remembered that her arm was in a cast and that it had been hurting her.

"Sort of." She said, cutting herself off before she could continue in an inevitable rant. He nodded, looking a little relieved.

"I am Rory," Her soft voice broke the silence that had descended in the room after she last spoke. He glanced up at her and she could see regret and frustration on her face before it he wiped it off. He nodded.

"I figured." Those words, and the memory as those were one of the first words he spoke to her, took her breath away. She sat for a moment staring at him, before shaking her head to dispel the memory when she saw him looking even more confused.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just…" Rory sighed, she really didn't know how to do this. "We know each other. I mean, we were, are, friends… that was the first thing you said to me. It's just…" She stopped, searching his face for some kind of recognition.

"I'm sorry." Jess whispered looking down at his bed, looking anywhere except into those beautiful sad eyes. There was another long pause.

"We were studying together." Rory suddenly said. "You wanted ice cream. In a cone." Jess closed his eyes, smiling to himself softly. _Cone? _"We were driving back when something came into the road. You tried to swerve but…" Jess was looking up at her with haunted eyes. He remembered bits of it. He remembered the screams and glass. But her? He was distracted by trying his hardest to form some kind of memory of her that he almost missed her last words. "It was my fault."

She said it so softly and so painfully that he wanted to get up and wrap her in his arms. HE hadn't felt that protective of someone in a long time. Not since…

"No." He said. She looked up at him. He shook his head firmly. "It was not your fault."

"You remember?" She asked, hope rekindling in her eyes. He hated himself for taking that away when he shook his head.

"No, but nothing from what you just said could make it your fault."

"But I told you to go left." Rory stammered. It was clear in her mind, that reassuring him that it was not his fault would make it easier. He shook his head again.

"No, look no. It is not your fault." He turned, looking around the room to distract himself and her from the pain in her eyes when he landed on a book on the table beside his bead. He smirked and reached out to grab it.

"What…"

"Oh…" She blushed a little, "I was reading it to you. You said you never finished it…"

"Yeah because Ayn Rand is a political nutjob."

"But no one else can write a 40 page monologue like she can." Rory replied without hesitation. They had had this conversation before, she thought grinning.

Jess looked at her. Suddenly one thing clicked together. "Is your mother a friend of Luke's?"

"Yes." Rory said, surprised. "Her name is Lorelai, she is outside in the hall, in fact." He remembered mom?

Jess shook his head, smirking, "I remember a woman who could annoy the hell out of Luke. And that she had a daughter." Rory grinned slightly, sadly, trying to not show that she was crestfallen. He remembered Lorelai?

* * *

Luke glanced over at Lorelai. He could see tears streaming down her face. He instinctively reached out to comfort her, forgetting everything that had happened between them.

"She's going to be okay." Luke said quietly. Lorelai jumped, startled at the sudden touch. She looked at him and gone was the cold look from before. Now was her friend, who was always there for her, Always.

"I'm sorry." Lorelai said again. She was leaning into him instinctively. "I'm sorry I wasn't here, I'm sorry I couldn't help, I'm sorry for everything." She started to cry harder. Luke pulled her towards him, fully engulfing his arms around her, muttering comforting words.

"Luke…" He pulled her away still gently, but there was hardness in his eyes now. God he was so tired of this, of all of this. And he was confused.

"Yes, you should have been." She gasped a little, looking shocked."But you're here for Rory. Rory needs you now." _And I need you_… the unspoken words hung between them, but he knew he would never say them. Not now. Lorelai nodded.

Then a phone rang. He pulled out his cell phone, ignoring Lorelai's look of surprise that he actually had one, and looked at the caller id. Liz. _Liz _was calling? He couldn't help but let his hopes go up a little.

"Liz?" He said as he opened the phone. There was silence on the other end, but then a completely slurred voice answered.

"_Luke, big brother!"_ Luke pulled back the phone from his ear in disgust at how entirely slurred and drunk she sounded.

"Why are you calling?" Luke growled, again ignoring Lorelai's look of concern.

"_I was just wondering if…woah there."_ He heard a high pitched laughed of hysteria. He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to break the phone, and was about to throw it, when he felt Lorelai grab it. He looked at her blankly, but nodded slowly when she mouthed that she got it. He collapsed to lean against the wall.

"Liz?" Lorelai asked into the phone, wincing when she heard the laughing. She swallowed hard as she felt a wave of sympathy and then righteous anger as only another mother could feel. She straightened and repeatedly herself loudly and sharply into the phone.

"LIZ?" the laughing stopped.

"_Who is this?" _

"Lorelai Gilmore. My daughter is a friend of your son, Jess." She felt she had to add his name or else Liz wouldn't know who she was talking about.

"_OH… Is my brother there?"_ Lorelai could not help but become angrier.

"You know, your son? The one that was in the coma?"

"_Yes, I know, that is why I want to…Jimmy…"_ There was a pause and Lorelai thought for a second Liz had passed out when she continued. _"who is this again?"_

Lorelai saw red. She was thankful that she had taken the phone from Luke, who had undoubtedly killed it by now in anger. He she took a deep breath to control herself.

"Liz, your son is awake now. He is going to be fine. He needs some attention, but he is going to be fine. Whatever you need to talk to Luke about can wait until you are sober…" _If you ever are…_ Lorelai continued with a fake sugary tone "OK?"

"What the hell…" Lorelai didn't let her continue when she hung up on her and held the phone out to Luke, who accepted it with a grateful smile.

"Thank you" He said quietly to his feet.

"Anytime."


	5. Surprises and Heartbreak

A/N - Sorry it took so long. I really had trouble getting this to come out. I guess it's more of a transition chapter. Sorry it's shorter. The next chapter will be up soon I hope.

Thank you for all your reviews and alerts.

Chapter 5

Surprises and Heartbreak

Luke tried. He really did. But after about the hundredth time of trying to get Jess' attention he finally erupted in a full out yell, which made the younger man simply look up at him lazily.

"Uncle Luke?" Jess said innocently, knowing he was driving Luke crazy. _Maybe he will leave me alone. _Luke took a deep breath.

"Will you not do that in here?" Luke said grabbing the cigarette from his mouth. "We've had this conversation." Jess looked at him blankly. "You remember? I threw pictures of damaged lungs in your face?"

Jess thought seriously for a moment and then he smirked when the memory slowly came back to him. It was sill frustrating how slow some of his memories were coming back to him. It felt like every time he looked around there was a something missing to the puzzle and he had to stop and try and figure it out right then. He really did not like to be left in the dark, he knew how that felt like and it was scary as hell in a city, but here it was borderline becoming suicidal. Not because it was dangerous but because he was about to murder someone if they continued to treat them the way they did. The looks that were a mixture of sympathy and the badly hidden hatred that he remembered from before the accident were heightened by the fact that everyone thought that they could talk to him. They were the ones that seemed to forget that he didn't talk to them, and he avoided making any contact with them at all costs, now and before. But they thought that he might have changed. And how he proved them wrong. He could see with every sarcastic comment their sympathy draining away and replaced with the badly hidden hatred. He laughed to himself every time.

"Jess?" It wasn't Luke this time. It was a softer, gentler, hesitant voice. He looked up in surprise. Rory was standing in front of him with a slightly scared look on her face. He sighed inwardly. Rory. The one person that he wished he could remember more about. He could feel that there was something missing but it was just beyond his reach. And it hurt. It hurt to see her hurt when he didn't remember things about them. But she was also the only person he tried to remember. He talked to her to see if he could, but it always ended with him frustrated and snapping at her. So now his memories of her will be of her stomping away from her.

"I brought you something." He cleared his thoughts to focus on her as he saw that she was trying to give him something.

"huh." He responded taking the book she offered. Ayn Rand. He smirked slightly.

"You weren't able to finish it." Rory starting, not wanting to mention that she had been reading it to him if he didn't remember it. She couldn't help but stare at him. He looked good. He was no longer pale and his hair was again with its spikes and wildness. She wished she could run her hands through it, and immediately blushed at the thought. It had been a long 4 days. Every day she had come to visit him and he responded with the same attitude that he had when he first arrived. But he was still nice to her and witty.

"Thanks," Jess said, looking her in the eye. She was blushing slightly, he wondered what she was thinking.

"I finished Hemingway last night." Rory said, settling herself on the stool next to Jess. He smirked again.

"And?"

"Still don't like him."

"Oh come on…" And there it was, the comfortable easy banter. He liked it. But he would never admit how much. He had never really had this kind of relationship with a girl. They had always turned very physical within the first week of know them. Not since Lindsay. He cringed inwardly. He didn't want to think about her. Not when he was here with Rory. He turned his full attention on her again.

"Have you read _Franny and Zoey_?" She was asking.

Lorelai had followed her daughter into the dinner in time to see Luke stomp away from his nephew. She sighed inwardly. The last few days had been hard on all of them, but especially Luke and Jess. She had tried to be there for him but it was still wasn't the same as it was before. Not that he didn't forgive her, he had, but he thought he didn't need her. Oh well, she will continue to be there for him no matter what. She will not fail again.

"Luuuuuuuuuuke" and she could be annoying doing it.

"Lorelai." was Luke's exasperated response.

"Coffee, please." She gave him her mega watt smile and he responded with a tired small smile of his own. She settled down in front of him and became serious. "How are you, Luke?"

"I'm alright." Luke replied shortly, still not looking at her.

"Luke." Lorelai asked softly, reaching out and placing her hand on his arm. Some of the tension slowly left him, and he came around the counter to sit next to her, his head hanging a little. He then turned to look her in the eye.

"I'm alright, Lorelai. He's alright. He's getting better, he's still the same smart ass, so we never have to worry about that. And I'm alright. Just tired." He turned away from her. He wasn't lying, he was so tired. He couldn't get to sleep because Jess couldn't get to sleep, or if he did would be wake up about an hour later by a nightmare, screaming. Luke never mentioned how he would go to him and give up a glass of water, say a few words to try and calm him and touch him on the arm or neck to let him know that he was safe. It was the touch that would tell Jess that it was a nightmare and that Luke was there not his demons and he would be able to get back to sleep.

"Has he been back to school?" Lorelai asked taking a sip of coffee.

"No not yet, tomorrow I think." Luke sighed, "He might not like it, again. He doesn't seem to remember it." He tried to be patient with the memory loss, and usually it was enough because Jess would never mention if something was not coming back to him. But it was frustrating for him to see Jess struggling, especially around this crazy time.

"How is Rory?" Luke asked, watching his nephew and Rory talk quietly in the corner. Rory still had her arm in the cast and didn't seem to be in pain, but he wanted to ask.

"She's alright. Casty there is now part of the family." Luke snorted.

"Casty?"

"Why not?"

"Why would you name an inanimate object?

"Again, why not?"

"Only you."

"Thank you. More coffee please?" Luke rolled his eyes but he got up to go around the corner when Christopher came into the dinner.

"There you are Lorelai." Chris exclaimed coming over to take the chair that Luke had just vacated. "Why couldn't you guys have waited for me?"

"You were taking too long in the shower and you know we can't go very long without coffee." Lorelai replied.

"I was only in there for 10 minutes!" Lorelai shrugged grinning. Chris turned to Luke who was cleaning the counter with a rag, not fully paying attention to the conversation. "Nevermind, did you order yet?"

"I was just about to…" she stopped when she saw Dean enter the dinner. _Uh-oh. _Dean and Rory had been shaky ever since Jess woke up, even after her conversation with him. And right now he looked angry when he saw them together in the corner. He made his way towards them.

Jess looked up to see a tall boy walking towards them with an angry expression on his face. Oh right, it was Rory's 'boyfriend' – he forgot the name. Dave? Derek? Something with a D.

"Rory." The tall one spoke first. Rory jumped slightly, and Jess thought that he saw a guilty look flash across her face before she turned around.

"Dean." Dean? Jess hated that name.

"WE were supposed to meet up at the bookstore, remember?" Yep, Jess really hated this guy. He was speaking to her like she was 5. She deserved better than that.

"Yeah, but we needed coffee. Mom and I needed coffee." Rory rambled, standing up to meet Dean. "But we could go now." She glanced quickly at Jess, who had been watching with a small smirk on his face.

"Yeah let's." Dean replied, grabbing Rory's hand to lead her out of the dinner. "We need to talk."

"Bye Jess." Rory called, and they both could see Dean tense up. Jess smirked again, giving Rory a small mocking wave and a raise of the eyebrow. She blushed slightly and shrugged before Dean dragged her out of the dinner. Jess sighed and then opened up the book that Rory had given him for some more torture by Ayn Rand.

Dean dragged Rory as far as the gazebo.

"Dean, slow down." Rory cried.

"Rory." Dean turned to face her with a serious angry look. She wasn't surprised, he was always angry at her. She was starting to get tired of it.

"What, Dean? I wasn't going to blow you off, I was going to go see you after I had coffee. You know I can't function without coffee."

"Then why are there talking to him?"

"Am I not allowed to talk to him?" Rory asked sarcastically. "Who else am I not allowed to talk to? Ms. Patty? Babette? Soon I'm not even going to be allowed to talk to my mom or Luke?" They had had this conversation over a hundred times, and every time she got more sarcastic and unknowingly more like her mother.

"No… Rory, come on." He replied before taking a deep breath. "I don't like that guy, he's trouble…"

"Why? Why is he trouble?"

"He wrecked your car!" There it was. Dean had never gone this far. He had never said what the whole time was thinking. Rory thought that he knew her better than that. She thought that he knew that she felt guilty about the accident and that she wanted to be there for Jess because before they had been friends and she wanted to keep that. She thought that Dean had atleast understood that. But no. He was jealous. Again.

"Dean."

"I know, I know, he got hurt, but he's ok now. And I still don't like him." Dean was so tired of this.

"Dean. There is no need to be jealous. I'm with you. I love you." Rory said to him, remembering another time they had had this conversation.

"_Come on man, she's not shipping off to Nam."_

Dean saw it. He couldn't ignore it now. It hurt too much. It had started ever since _he _came, he had been so blind.

"No you don't." Rory started out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"You don't love me." Dean said, all the anger draining out of him, replaced by sadness.

"Dean?"

"You love him. You want to be with him. And before he liked you, but now you don't know if he does or not. But I'm not going to be your back up plan until he does. I'm done." Dean turned away slowly.

"Dean!" Rory cried, trying to grasp unto the last of her first. Her first love, her first kiss, her first relationship.

He didn't turn away but only walked faster. Rory sank to the floor of the gazebo, sank her head into her hands and started crying. She hadn't wanted to hurt him.

* * *

"What was that about?" Chris asked both Luke and Lorelai. Luke gave him a strange look before walking away.

"That was Dean and Rory, Chris. They've been in a shaky patch for a while." Lorelai responded.

"Oh. How come I didn't know this?" Lorelai shrugged slightly. Things had been good with Chris. They had fallen into a routine at the house that really made them feel like a family. But something was off. Something didn't feel right. She loved Chris, she knew that, but he was still the same. Ignoring Rory for days at a time and then finally taking an interest in her. And then getting mad at Lorelai when she didn't want to just be with him, but hang out with Rory. She was starting to get tired of it.

"Christopher?" Both Lorelai and Chris, and even Luke, turned to look at the newcomer.

"Sherry?" Chris breathed in surprise. Sherry? Of course she would be a beautiful perfect blond, Lorelai thought.

"And you must be Lorelai." Sherry continued sneeringly. Lorelai was taken aback.

"The one and only. Well okay not really, there is my daughter, but we call her Rory, and my grandmother, whom I haven't seen in years, so the one and only Lorelai here in the dinner at the moment." Lorelai rambled, and then turned around to drink some more coffee, meeting Luke's eyes and reading the silent question and shrugging. She didn't know what was going on either.

"Sherry, what are you doing here?" Chris stood up but Sherry sat down at one of the tables, seemingly ignoring him.

"Can I have a menu please?" Nothing about her tone was respectful. Lorelai was really starting to hate this girl. Luke seemed to agree as he ignored her, continuing to clean the counter. Chris took advantage to sit down next to Sherry and repeat his question.

"I'm here to see the family you chose to over me. And where is your perfect Rory?" Lorelai bristled.

"Look…" She was interrupted by Chris.

"Lore…" He gave her a look that said stay out of this. Lorelai was surprised. And a little angry. This woman was attacking her daughter. She had the right to defend her. She then felt Luke sit down next to her, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at them. She grinned slightly as she copied his actions. Chris nodded and then turned back to Sherry. The nod made both of them even angrier. Like Lorelai was one to be bossed around by anyone.

"Sherry."

"I miss you Chris." Sherry changed to a pleading pathetic brokenhearted women. "I want you, I love you, please come back."

He shook his head. "I'm with Lorelai now Sherry." Lorelai felt Luke tense even more next to her.

"But Chris…" Sherry looked at him with innocent eyes, "I'm pregnant."

* * *

After Rory had left, Jess had wondered outside going the opposite way of the angry couple. He just really wanted to be alone right now. And in this crazy town there was only few places he could truly be alone. He walked slowly to the bridge. He liked it here. It was peaceful. He remembered Luke pushing him into the stream, but he didn't remember why. He remembered a conversation with Rory about books and such, but he didn't remember why they were there in the first place. Suddenly he couldn't stop the flood of memories.

Lindsay. _He had been 15 when he had met the beautiful girl. Because even though she was tough and had tattoos and had been living on the street since she was 9, she was still beautiful. Not innocent, but beautiful. They had become fast friends because they both had nobody else. Her father beat the crap out of her mom and her sisters and even her when she was home, while his mother was still drinking like it was her death wish. They had gone everywhere together, which was practical on the streets, but also because they had fun together. _

_Then it happened. One day they were supposed to meet in the park. Jess was running a little late because his mother's recent boyfriend had taken to trying to keep him in the house with his fist. He made it, though, to find that Lindsay wasn't there. So he waited. And waited. She never came. He went to where he knew she liked to hang out and she wasn't there. He looked for three days. Then he saw the news. That was the first time he felt like crying in a long time when he saw her body on the news as the victim of a serious attack. _

He tried to push the memories of the pain and grief away by breathing deeply. It wasn't working.

_Liz had gone through 4 boyfriends in as many weeks. He was tired of waking up to find a new one in the kitchen. He never knew what to expect, he just assumed they didn't want anything to do with him, so he left them alone. Right after the attack in the park and the death of Lindsay, Liz had brought home Gary. He was one of the first in a long time who hadn't started hitting Liz after the first date. He even cooked for them. Jess was too involved in his grief and fear he didn't pay that much attention. But he did notice that the guy had stayed longer than the rest. He was there a good 2 months. Liz was starting to sober up, and Jess was starting to enjoy the home-cooked meals. Then one day Jess opened the door to find Gary lying on the floor with Liz crying hysterically trying to wake him up. There was no blood, just the paleness of his skin that continued to give Jess nightmares. He found out later that Gary had overdosed. And Liz had to get her stomach pumped. That was when he started on his downward spiral. _

He didn't notice the footsteps until too late.

"Jess?" He jerked up. He didn't recognize the voice and stood up to see and man, about Luke's age, with wild black hair, and wearing a leather jacket. Jess was frightened for the first time in a long time.

"Who?" He cursed himself at his weakness. He swallowed his fear.

"I'm sorry didn't mean to startle you." The stranger said, keeping his distance.

Jess snorted and shrugged.

"You're Jess right?" Jess shrugged in acknowledgment

"I asked around town and this crazy woman told me she saw you walking this way."

"And you are?"

"Jimmy."


	6. Broken and Damaged

A/N - I think these chapters are gettng shorter and shorter. I'm sorry. But I actually like this chapter so I'm good with the length.

Thank you to all who reviewed.

Chapter 6

Broken and Damaged

"Pregnant?"

The diner had become completely silent, which was a rare occasion. Lorelai's mouth dropped, staring at the couple sitting at the table in front of her. _Sherry was pregnant?_ No, no it can't be. She must be lying.

"You're what?" She heard Chris ask. It was so wrong. She can't be pregnant. Chris was with here with them. He might be the same slightly flakey Chris but he finally where he belonged. And now? Lorelai knew without thinking about it that if Sherry was really pregnant then Chris will go with her. He wouldn't miss out on this again. Lorelai straightened her back, forcing her emotions down, preparing herself for the hurt she knew that was coming. She sensed Luke sitting next to her, silently giving her support by mimicking her position, bracing himself for a scene. She smiled sadly inwardly. _Luke…_

"I'm pregnant, Christopher." Chris was still in shock. He continued to stare at his girlfriend – no _ex _girlfriend- pregnant?

"Are you sure?" He had to ask. He couldn't take his eyes off Sherry. She was so beautiful.

"Yes." He nodded. And then smiled. A baby! He finally had the chance to redo all the mistakes he did with Rory. He finally will be have it all, everything that he wanted. His smile grew when he saw Sherry return the smile shyly. He forgot where he was for a split second and leaned forward to kiss her. He didn't hear the gasp in the background.

Lorelai gasped. She felt rather than see Luke get up and walk over to the couple. She wasn't seeing straight. Everything was spinning in her head and she could literally feel her heart fall. She couldn't breathe. _Chris? _She looked up just in time to see Luke pull Chris away from the _girl._

"What the hell?" Chris yelled.

"Are you kidding me? Are you forgetting something?" Luke roared, pointing at Lorelai. Chris visible paled as he looked at his first love, the mother of his child, his best friend, his lover. She was staring at him, wide-eyed, and pale. He swallowed hard.

"Lorelai." She shook her head mutely and dashed out of the dinner into the streets. He jumped to stop her but she jerked away from him, shaking her head again. He didn't take the hint and followed her outside, with Sherry following him calling his name. He turned around and said sharply "Not now, Sherry."

Luke hesitated for a second, but then stalked back to the other side of his counter, yelling on his way to the town. "Mind your own damn business!"

"Lorelai!" Chris grabbed her again, this time pulling her to face him. "Lorelai, I'm sorry. Lore, I'm sorry." Lorelai shook her head again. "I…. I …. She's pregnant. I was surprised. I…"

Lorelai finally found her voice. "Chris."

"No. I want to be with you. I do. You and Rory were the most important people in my life."

"were?" Lorelai whispered.

"What?"

"You said were. We were the most important people in your life. What in the last two minutes we've slipped from your priorities?" Lorelai was angry, beyond angry. This wasn't about her anymore, she will get over that, she has before but this was about Rory. "Your daughter? Your own child? She's not important to you anymore?"

"No, Lore that's not what I said…not what I meant." Chris fumbled over his words, trying to backtrack.

"Really, what did you mean?"

"I just mean, now that she's pregnant."

"What?" Lorelai practically shrieked. "Because she's pregnant you're going to go back to ignoring your daughter?"

"No…" Chris was practically begging her to stop and calm down.

"No. No. No. Chris. We're done." Lorelai pulled herself up to her full height and looked him straight in the eyes. "Leave. You think that we're not important anymore than we do not need you. We can manage." _We have for the last 16 years._

"Lore…" Tears filled his eyes.

"Chris." Lorelai said with finality and turned away from him. She walked towards her house without turning back, without slowing down. She didn't want him to see the tears streaming down her face. She felt broken. The boy that she had loved in high school, had been her first everything, he was going to have a chance for a family. He dropped them at the first chance. _Rory. _She cried even harder. She knew that her baby girl would be heartbroken. What kind of father? _Rory. Rory? _

"Mom?"

Rory did not realize how similar her thoughts were to her mom's at the moment as she sat in the gazebo crying over her first love. She was tired of this. She was tired of feeling broken, of crying, or having this feeling of helplessness. She knew that Dean had been right in some respects. She hadn't been the best of girlfriends lately, but he should have understood. She had loved him. She did. She sighed heavily. Then she heard raised voices and she looked up to see her mom and Chris talking in the street. She looked closer, something was wrong. Her mom was shaking her head, looking shell shocked. Then she saw her yell at Chris and then walk away. She passed by the gazebo and Rory could see the tears streaming down her face. Rory quickly got up and ran to her.

"Mom?" Lorelai looked at her, shaking her slightly, and looked at her clearly and then pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Oh, honey, are you alright?" Lorelai breathed.

"No."

"Okay, let's go home." Lorelai said, moving them down the street.

"Rory?" Rory hesitated when she heard her father call her. She felt Lorelai tense. Their hesitation cost them though, as Chris was able to catch up with them.

"Rory, are you okay?" Chris held out his hand to stop them from moving. He wanted to try and salvage something from his relationship with the Gilmore Girls. He did love his daughter.

"Not now, dad." Rory said quietly, feeling Lorelai tighten her arms around her.

"But Ror…"

"Please…" Chris couldn't back off. He wanted her to know. He grabbed her arm and dragged away from Lorelai.

"Chris!" Lorelai cried as Rory cried out in pain. He had grabbed the arm with the cast on it.

"Listen to me Rory."

"Dad, you're hurting me."

"Christopher let her go!"

"No, Rory." And then Christopher sealed his coffin by shaking his daughter roughly. Before he knew it he was being dragged away from the girls and a searing pain on his face.

Luke had tried to stay out of it, taking heed of his own advice to the town, but when he saw Chris grab Rory by the arm, he ran out of the dinner in a flash. He dragged Christopher away and punched him in the face. He did it again before Chris had a chance to respond, but then Chris was able to get up and take a swing at Luke, who easily dodged it, punching Chris again, laying him flat on the pavement.

"Luke!" Lorelai cried running forward to stop Luke from doing anything else. He turned to her, took a deep breath, and then turned to Rory.

"Rory, are you alright?" he asked gently, bending slightly to be on eye level with her. She shook her head, crying and he pulled her gently into his arms, hugging her. She sank into his embrace finally feeling safe. Luke has always been there for them.

"Get away from her." Chris growled from the ground.

"No." Lorelai yelled at him. "You leave. NOW. You are no longer to come anywhere near her. LEAVE NOW!" Chris opened his mouth to say something, but Lorelai interrupted him, "So help me God, Christopher." He finally got it. He nodded and pulled himself up and turned away. Lorelai turned away from him and talked to her daughter. Luke looked at her and slowly moved the still weeping Rory to Lorelai's open arms. He touched her arm encouragingly.

"You okay?" she nodded slightly and he walked back to the dinner. Mother and daughter held each other in the middle of the square for a long time.

"Jimmy?" Jess barely remembered the name. It sounded familiar.

"Yeah, your father?" Jess froze. His father?

"Huh" It was the only response he could think of. Liz had had many boyfriends and none of them had stayed long enough, except for Gary, to be considered anything close to a father figure. This man, who had his crazy hair, was claiming to be his father? Why?

"Yeah, well, Liz called me…" _Oh._ "And I thought I would come here and make sure you were okay."

"Ever heard of a phone?" Jess muttered. This was not good. Liz called him? Liz who had been too preoccupied with other things to check up on him called his long last father? He shook his head.

"Yeah I know, I should have called. I should have talked to Luke first, but the bumbling idiot probably wouldn't let me near you." _Bumbling idiot? _Anger seared through him. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"You said that already." Jess bite out.

"Well, are you?" the man asked taking a few steps closer, making Jess take a few steps back involuntarily.

"I'm here." Jess said shortly. He suddenly wished he hadn't left the diner.

"Oh, right, well how… um… what… how bad is it?" Jimmy seemed to be having trouble forming a proper sentence.

"Is what?" Jess wasn't going to make this easy for him. Something about the man made him uneasy.

"You know…your injuries." Jess looked at him strangely.

"Again, I'm here. Standing." Jimmy nodded awkwardly. There was silence.

"Look, I should have called. Why don't we go back to the diner and have something to eat?"

"Why?" Jess sensed that something odd was going on, he just couldn't place it.

"well…. I'm sure you're hungry and such."

"Not really."Jimmy nodded again.

"Please?"

"Why? If you want to talk in private this is the best place to do." Jess said motioning towards the bridge. "I promise no one is going to be looking for me." He said sarcastically.

"Look, I don't really know how to do this." Jimmy looked down at his feet. "Maybe it is best to talk with Luke also." _What the hell? _Jess looked at him closely and then shrugged. He turned and led the way back to the diner. His mind was reeling. Why the hell was his father here? He ignored the other man all the way to the diner while racking his brain trying to remember something about the man. Something about a hotdog king? He remembered stories when he was young about a man who had swept Liz off her feet. But that was before the heavy drinking and drugs.

"Jess." He looked up to see Luke addressing him. They were already at the diner. Luke glanced at the other man suspiciously, while Jess took the opportunity to survey his uncle. He looked exhausted as always, but there was also anger simmering beneath, and there was blood on his hand. He wondered what that was about.

"Luke." Jimmy addressed him.

"Do I know you?"

"Jimmy." He held out his hand to shake Luke's, but the other man didn't respond likewise.

"Jimmy? Jimmy as in the hotdog king?" Luke said, surprised.

"Yep, that's me I guess." Luke glanced at Jess, giving him a look that clearly said _what the heck? _Jess shrugged his shoulders slightly and raised his eyebrow in answer _Beats me. _

"Why are you here?" Luke asked.

"I'm here to make sure Jess was okay."

"You could have called."

"That's what I said." Jess muttered. Looking around at the townspeople who were obviously curious, He caught Luke's eye. He nodded.

"Come on upstairs." Luke turned at led the way, not giving Jimmy much of a choice.

"So," Luke said awkwardly once they were upstairs. "What are you really doing here, Jimmy?" Luke was tired of this. He really wished that people would just leave his nephew alone. The last time he had seen Jimmy they were at the hospital and he had gone to get diapers and never came back. The ever present anger and frustration started building up inside of him.

"I came to see my son, can I not do that?"

"No." The other two replied. They glanced at each other, this time Luke raising an eyebrow and Jess giving a small nod. Jess sat back a bit against the table, letting Luke Jess take this. Jess was also incredibly tired, and he was starting to get a headache.

"Well…" Jimmy glanced between the two of them. He could sense a strong relationship, something he wished he had with his son. He sighed inwardly. He had been keeping in touch with Liz periodically, besides the very drunken phone calls on her part. He hadn't been completely surprised then when she had called him.

"_Jimmy, baby…" her words were slurred, again. _

"_Liz." Jimmy sighed. _

"_I miss you, baby." She always said that. He never responded to it. Because he may have loved her when they were married but he didn't now. He didn't miss her. _

"_Liz, why did you call this time?" _

"_Jess…" _

"_Jess?" his son. The one failure in his life was that he wasn't there for his son._

"_He was in an accident." Liz broke off and then laughed hysterically. "He was in a coma. He is with good oold Luke." _

_Jimmy froze. This was bad. _

"_was? Is he okay now?" _

"_Yeah, he's awake. But he's with Luke. The idiot doesn't know how to take care of him." Jimmy remembered Luke, the overprotective flannel wearing townie. _

"_What do you want me to do, Liz?" _

"_I don't know…" Liz laughed the hair raising laugh again. "I don't know. I just wanted you to know. Bye love." And she hung up. _

It had taken him a while to decide to come to Stars Hollow. He knew that it was going to be hard, but he felt like he should be given another chance.

"Liz called me. Said you were here with him." Jimmy sneered towards the end gesturing at Luke. Luke tensed, anger continuing to build.

"And?" Luke growled.

"I thought it would be better if he stayed with me." There was a moment of shocked silence and then Luke started laughing.

"Why would it be better?" Luke asked through his laughter. He sobered immediately, however, when he saw Jess looking at him serious. Was the kid actually considering this?

"I am his father, and it would be good for him to have a change of scenery." Jimmy had this speech memorized, having thought about it all the way from California.

"Where do you live now?" Luke asked. Last he had heard the man was in Kentucky. He laughed inwardly at the idea of Jess in Kentucky.

"California."

There was another moment of silence. Jess was thinking. He didn't know this man very well, and he kept insulting Luke which was not cool, but a change in scenery? A new beginning where everything was new. It sounded appealing. But then he looked at Luke. He owed Luke, and he was good to him. Jimmy was a dead beat father, but was coming for a second chance.

"No. His doctors are here. I am here taking care of him." Luke roared finally breaking the silence. "You can't just come in here and pretend the last 17 years didn't happen. You weren't there. You expect to be given a second chance just like that? How should we know that you've changed?"

"Because I have. I own a restaurant. And I have an actual house and I deserve a second chance." Jimmy yelled back, all the while addressing Jess, and ignoring Luke.

"I said no." Luke repeated, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"It's not your decision to make." Jimmy wiped back. "Jess?"

Jess was quiet. He didn't know what to think, or to do. He just knew that it should be his choice, but he didn't know what.

"Jess?" this time it was Luke, his voice actually caring concern. Jess needed to get out of here. His head starting pounding furiously. He got up without a word and walked out of the room.

"Jess!" Jimmy cried about to go after him.

"Don't." Luke said grabbing his arm. "Leave him be. He will come back." Luke hoped he will come back.

Jimmy pulled away from him. "Get away from me." He snarled.

"What is your problem?" Luke yelled.

"You are nothing. You don't know anything about this kid. You don't know how to take care of him. You let him get hurt! He was in a coma! It was your fault." Jimmy screamed at Luke, getting right up in his face.

"And you? You haven't been here. How do you know how to take care of him anymore than I do?"

"I am his father!"

"And?" Luke asked. He had a sudden flashback of what happened earlier with Christopher. Why can't all these fathers just leave well enough alone?

"Look, I don't expect you to understand." Jimmy said, again sneering. Luke was starting to get very annoyed at this guy. "If Jess comes back tell him I'm staying at the motel right outside of town." And Jimmy walked out of the room.

Luke collapsed unto one of the chairs. Jimmy was back beginning for a second chance. And worse yet, Jess hadn't said no. He _hadn't said no. _Which means he might say yes, he might leave. Luke had failed him. Jimmy was right, he had no idea about how to handle him or care for him or anything like that. He was trying. But Jess still might leave. The anger that had been simmering all day, no, ever since the accident, turned into a raging fury. Luke got up and blindly punched the wall, shattering the nearby pictures.

_Dead beat fathers coming back and demanding a second chance. _His fist was driven into the wall again. _Lorelai and Rory crying hysterically in the middle of the town and nothing he could do to take away the brokenness in their eyes. _Again. _Jess lying on the hospital be, pale as sheet. _Again. _It was all his fault. _

He finally sunk down to the floor, holding his damaged hand, blood soaking his shirt.

_It was all his fault. _Lorelai's beautiful face contorted with pain and anger, yelling at him.

_It was all his fault. _Rory holding her cast carefully, reading quietly to Jess.

_It was all his fault. _Jess.

Luke let his head fall into his lap and cried.


	7. Everything and Nothing

A/N - Sorry it took so long. But I had a huge month long writers block and this came out. I like it. I hope you do too.

Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 7

Everything and Nothing

"Liz?"

"_Who is this?" _Jess hesitated. He didn't know what made him to do it, but for the first time in a long time he was calling his mother.

"It's Jess." He had run out of Luke's apartment just wanting space and quiet. Jimmy's offer was appealing but something was off he couldn't place it. Again. This memory thing was really getting annoying.

"_Jess?" _Jess stopped short. He had been pacing his bridge again but the pure confusion in his mother's voice stopped him. He was supposed to have the memory loss right? How did his own mother not know his voice?

"Yes, Liz, it's Jess. Your son?" He choked a bit on the word because he had never really felt like her son.

"_Who?" _ Jess hung up the phone without a second thought. His own mother didn't recognize him one second and then called his long lost father to come and collect him? He didn't trust either of them. He made up his mind. He started walking determinedly back to the diner, not really paying attention when suddenly a mass was standing in front of him. A tall mass in the shape of Dean.

Jess looked up at him, raising his eyebrows sardonically. "Can I help you?"

Dean growled. "You are not good enough for her." _For who? Oh, Rory. _Jess paused. Did he have a thing for Rory? He shook that thought off for later.

"And you are?" Dean growled again. _He really loved this growling thing. _Jess thought as he tried to move around him, but Dean moved to block him again. "Look, Dean, is it? I'm not really in the mood to go all West Side Story and frankly my dancing is not up to snuff." He smirked and then walked around him fully and made it to the diner.

"I'll be watching, Jess." He snorted at Dean's last meant- to-be-threatening words. He had had heard worse. And had received the actual threats. He walked quickly upstairs and opened the door to find his uncle sitting on the floor, head in his arms and fast asleep. Jess smiled softly. Luke had not been sleeping well lately at all, Jess remembered guiltily. He moved forward in the apartment and Luke woke up with a start. He looked blearily at him.

"Jess?" His tone was different, not of confusion like his mother, not of half baked threats like Dean, but of concern and something else that Jess could not place.

"Uncle Luke." Luke rolled his eyes as he managed himself off the floor.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked. Jess looked closer at his face. Had he been crying? No, Luke did not cry. Ever. His eyes caught the blood still on Luke's hand and decided to ask.

"What happened to your hand?" Luke looked down at it, as if finally realizing something was wrong with it.

"I hit someone."

"Uncle Luke, violence is never the answer." Jess mocked as he walked around Luke and grabbed a towel and rand cold water on it and then handed it to Luke who nodded gratefully, wiping the blood.

"He deserved it."

"Who?"

"Christopher." Jess hesitated. He probed his memory gently. _Christopher? OH, yeah, Rory's dad. _He got a little angry, what did her father do that would deserve the wrath of Luke? The violent wrath of Luke? Because Luke honestly got mad all the time but never truly as angry to hit someone. Usually he would just go out and buy a building or something or push someone into a lake.

"What did he do?" Luke was silent and then looked up at Jess, and he saw anger and concern in the younger man's eyes.

"He hurt Rory, grabbed her by the cast and then shook her." Jess saw red. He never heard Luke's call as he stalked out of the room and out of the diner and made his way down the street towards… He didn't know where he was going but he knew that he wasn't wandering he was going somewhere for a purpose, his body seemed to know where but his mind was little preoccupied as it was rammed back into memories.

_The first boyfriend hadn't known that Liz had had a kid until Jess showed up for breakfast one morning and scared the hell out of him. Jess had completely ignored him and the man had done the same. He had left two weeks later. The second one however. He had hated Jess. The first time he had hit him had been because Jess had said hello to his mother. He had been 7. And it had gotten worse. Never better just worse. _

To think that Rory had gone through something like that. It was not as bad, but the thought of someone that was supposed to protect you actually hurting you broke your heart, Jess knew and he didn't want this to happen to Rory. Before long he found himself in front of a large house and ringing the doorbell.

Rory and Lorelai had finally made it home. They had cried the entire way, and had nearly killed themselves by not being able to see where they were going but they had finally made it home. Lorelai could not believe Chris. She was so angry, so guilty, and so tired, but she didn't want to let go of her weeping daughter who had not been able to stop crying in a mixture of the pain from her arm and the betrayal of her father and the heartbreak of her first love. Rory felt like her world was falling apart. Again. And this time her mother's comfort was not enough. When they got back to the house, the two Gilmore Girls collapsed on the sofa, entangled together, and cried themselves to sleep.

Not even a moment had passed, in their minds, when the doorbell rang. They both groaned. Lorelai prayed to God that it wasn't Christopher as she managed to untangle herself from her daughter and answer the door.

"Jess?" Jess looked up at her, a little surprised himself that he was here but he recovered with a small smile. Not sarcastic or mocking. But a sad smile. Lorelai was a little confused. Jess looked sad and tired and a little angry, but his smile was soft.

"Is Rory here?" He asked respectfully. Lorelai was blown away. Even after the coma Jess hadn't been this respectfully to – well anyone. _He must have heard what happened. _He was looking past her and she turned aside when she heard her daughter's voice.

"Jess?" Rory was slightly embarrassed that he was seeing her like this but then he looked into her eyes and asked "Are you ok?" With pure concern. She broke down again but this time Jess was there. Jess caught her to his chest and held her fiercely protective. Lorelai smiled for the first time in a long time. _Finally. _

Jess didn't know what possessed him to do this, this wasn't the usual him, he knew that. But this girl. Rory. And then he remembered. The memories flooded him as he ran his fingers through her soft hair comfortingly.

_Don't I look trustworthy to you?_

_I hardly know you._

_You thought it was a little funny. _

_That is not the point. _

_Oh but is it?_

The looks, the smiles, the banter everything from the first day they met. He remembered that he had never felt this way about a girl. He remembered that she was the town princess that liked to talk books and old movie references to the badboy hoodlum. He remembered everything, every touch, every smile.

_Why are you only nice to me? _

_Well, what is much?_

_Oliver Twist._

_Hemmingway has only good things to say about you. _

_She's not shipping off to 'Nam._

Dean had been right though. He was not good enough. Before. But now he will be. Because this girl.

_Hi, I'm Rory. _

_I figured. _

Rory cried for a long time, and when she finally pulled away she was deep red with embarrassment. Jess shook his head softly and hugged her again, whispering _everything is going to be alright. _She sank into his hug and felt safe. Everything in the last few weeks had been one hit after another and then her father? She knew that her father loved her but he had actually tried to hurt her and had hurt her mom, she just didn't know how. And then Dean. And then now Jess was here. And was still holding her like he would never let go. Did this mean? Did he remember her? Hope sprang in her broken fragile heart. Because she knew that Dean had been right, that her mom had been right that the whole town had been right about one thing. She liked Jess. He was smart, sarcastic, intriguing, and loved to read and talk about the books and music. He was dark and then he smiled that smile that was only for her and he was pure light, so beautiful that her heart would skip.

She finally pulled away. He let her but still held her hand gently. She smiled shakily at him. He smirked back in return, moving a piece of hair from her face.

"I have to go back to Luke's" he said quietly and she nodded, knowing that he had to leave. But he cupped her face gently, "when you need me to leave. Do you want to watch a movie?" She smiled and nodded. And they turned towards the living room, Lorelai vacated the couch and watched them get situated bantering gently about movies and Mel Gibson. Jess reminded her of Luke, someone who knew exactly what a Gilmore girl needed. Suddenly she had a fierce to desire to see her Luke, to make sure he was okay, to thank him, to see him.

"Hey, kids? I'm going to Luke's" they both nodded, but then Rory jumped up and hugged her mom, whispering _Are you okay?_

"Yeah. I am now." Lorelai smiled bitter sweetly at her beautiful daughter and as she left, she heard Jess ask "Remind me again why we are watching _The Godfather?" _ and she smirked.

Luke had sunk back to the ground after unsuccessfully trying to stop his nephew from stomping out in a rage. He didn't know where the kid was going but he had made himself close enough to the phone to be able to answer any sudden calls about a fire or a homicide. His hand still hurt and he just wanted to go to sleep. He sat there, his mind blank for the first time ever since the call from the hospital for a long time until he heard a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in." He looked up to see Lorelai, his beautiful Lorelai, her eyes still red from crying. He quickly got up and went to her. "Are you okay? Is Rory okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay. Jess is with her now." Luke smiled in surprise but then stopped when he realized she ignored his first question.

"Lorelai, are you okay?" He asked again looking directly into her eyes.

"No. No I'm not. My daughter was in a car accident and the boy that she is in love with didn't remember her and she was heartbroken and then the boy that she was in love with dumped her, badly. And then her father tries to shake her arm off, really hurting her. And not to mention that Chris abandoned us for his ex-girlfriend who is now pregnant. And then you…" She looks him fully in the eyes for the first time in a long time, "I hurt you deeply by blaming you and then not being there for both of you and not being a better friend when you were always there for me and not realizing that you would do anything for me and I always take that for granted and that I have been so unfair to you and that I care about you so much and…" Luke cut her off by pulling her into a hug. She sank into the strength and comfort and smell that was so _Luke_ and everything felt right in the world again. She took a second to catalog this feeling.

She meant everything she had said but she was also Lorelai Gilmore, the single mother who sometimes thinks she could be superwoman not needed anyone. But she always needed Luke. Christopher she wished she wanted. But all feelings for him vanished the second he touched her daughter forcefully. Luke. She suddenly looked up at him and saw forgiveness and something else that she had always seen there but was never able to identify. Then she realized it. _Love. _She swallowed in realization and then leaned in and pressed her lips against his.

Luke was suddenly in startled bliss. Lorelai had wondered back into his life in a whirlwind as always, ranting and raving and he forgave her for everything when he saw the brokenness in her eyes. And then she kissed him. It took him a second to respond but then he did with full enthusiasm.

Finally they broke apart, both breathing hard.

"But…" Lorelai stopped him with another kiss. Luke felt all of the tension, the fear, the anger that had burdened him since he saw his nephew in the hospital bed, slip away at the touch of his beautiful woman. Everything was going to be alright.

_What is this? _

_Your horoscope. Read it. _

_You will meet an annoying woman today, give her coffee and she go away. _

She never did. He loved her for it.

It was after midnight when Lorelai came home to find Jess and Rory still sitting on the couch watching a movie. Jess had a pillow in his lap and Rory was resting on it, both making sarcastic comments about the movie they were watching. Jess had never felt so carefree. He thought it was like a dream, something that would be snatched away from him at any moment. He was terrified at the thought but then looked down at her beautiful face and shook his head mentally. She was worth it. She was worth the future heartache. He wasn't so sure he was worth it and then Rory looked up at him and smiled. He couldn't help but smile back. They both jumped when they heard Lorelai walk in.

"Sorry, kids." Lorelai said. "I'll be upstairs." She walked up giving Rory a smile and Jess a slight nod of…acceptance? Jess nodded back in acknowledgement.

Rory was silent, and then she moved up to sit on the couch facing Jess. He looked at her questioningly as she shut off the movie.

"What happened that made you come here?" Rory asked.

"When?"

"When you first came to Stars Hollow. Do you remember?" He was silent.

"I remember." He said quietly. "Do you really want to know? Now?"

"Yeah, I mean if you want to tell me." Rory said shyly. Jess hesitated. He didn't like to talk about it. Especially to her, after everything that had happened. He didn't want to see her look of pity and disappointment. They had been having such a good night too.

"I just became more that my mother could handle, so she sent me to Luke." He said vaguely and saw the look of disappointment and anger.

Rory figured he would respond like that, but couldn't help but be hurt by him not trusting her.

"Look, Rory." Rory looked into his eyes, and they were for the first time open and vulnerable. "I will tell you. Just… not first… not now." Rory nodded and looked away. "Please, Rory." She jerked back to look at him and smiled softly.

"Okay." Then without thinking about, she ran her hand through his hair that was framing his face. She stopped suddenly when his surprised look registered and she pulled back embarrassed. She stuttered an apology as she made to get off the couch when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him, and captured her lips with his. Pure bliss.

Eternity passed in a few seconds and they broke apart. She smiled again, hazily and was swept away by his full blown smile of happiness. She leaned forward for another kiss.

Everything was going to be alright.

* * *

A/N - Okay so incredibly sappy at the end. But this is the end. I was thinking of writing an epilogue but this was mostly about getting them together. And many of you probably would want to know about Jess' past and I may be convinced to write something about that if you want. But for now this is the end of Teach me...

Good Night and Good luck.


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